


The Wolf, the Stag and the Sanke - Book 1

by CassieBaratheon135



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2018-12-22 02:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 92,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11957577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassieBaratheon135/pseuds/CassieBaratheon135
Summary: This fanfiction is about three girls who lives in Westeros and how their lives changed when the War began. Follow Antea Stark, Cassandra Baratheon and Cyel Sand in their adventures. There is more you have just to wait and see.This fanfiction follows only George R. R. Martin's books.The Character are portrait by the actors of the show, Game of Thrones.





	1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for starting reading my fanficiton, I hope you'll like it.**

**I'm sorry for eventual grammar errors, but english is not my first language.**

**I do not own anything but my OCs, anything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

**The characters are portrait by the actors of Game of Thrones, except the Sand Snakes.**

 

**Antea Stark is portrait by Lucy Griffiths**

**Cassandra Baratheon is portrait by Bridget Regan**

**Cyel Sand is portrait by Adelaide Kane**

 

* * *

 

 

[ANTEA](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4a/64/1d/4a641dbb2c9d5190a7b5334ef74d27dc--robin-hood-bbc-robin-hoods.jpg)

Mornings were Antea’s favourite moment of the day. She loved waking up with the cold north’s wind blowing on her face like a caress and the morning light which became clearer by the minute. She also loved it because it was the quietest time of the day.

In fact, for Antea Stark it was not so obvious to have a moment for herself. She was the eldest daughter of Lady Catelyn and Lord Eddard Stark, warden of the North, and being a lady implied to have duties and responsibilities. But much it was due to the fact that Antea Stark had other six brothers to make her life pleasantly eventful. Indeed there was not a moment of boredom inside the walls of the castle of Winterfell.

Antea sat composed on in her bed when she heard a knock on the door.

 “Come in” she said, placing the sheets around her.

Antea Stark was considered a very charming lady but when she was asleep she was not graceful at all. Her twin brother Robb had always teased her on her unladylike way to sleep since they were children. But what could she do? It wasn’t her fault if she dreamed of running during one of the many adventures she faced while she was asleep. 

 “Good morning Antea” the gentle voice of Cyel Sand joined her as she saw her friend enter the room with two cups of milk and honey.

That was their _secret breakfast_. The two girls ate that small breakfast every morning since Cyel had come from Dorne and became Lord Stark’s ward. And then they would have joined the rest of the Stark family for the real breakfast.

 “It’s nice to see you already awake this morning” Cyel said, sitting on the bed next to Antea.

Antea had many friends, but the most trusted was definitely Cyel Sand. She knew how honest and loyal Cyel was, she trusted her so deeply that she would have entrusted to her her own life and her brothers’.

 “Winter is coming” Antea said, quoting her house words “And with it even the icy wind, but it doesn’t bother me” and with a smile she took one of the two cups of milk from her friend’s hand.

 “You are a Stark” Cyel replied after taking a sip “I didn’t expect anything different from you”

The girls had finished eating their secret breakfast when Antea realized that she was late, Cyel was already ready for the day.

 “Gods Cyel!” she exclaimed getting out of bed “You make me look so lazy. You are ready while I still have to get out of bed”

She had chosen a dress when she heard Cyel laugh.

 “I’m a morning person. You like to sleep, my lady” Antea heard her friend say while she was slide in the grey dress that her mother had given to her as a present for her last birthday.

 “And you are right, my lady” Antea replied “Can you help me with this fastening?” Cyel was immediately on her feet and in a few moments she fixed Antea’s dress.

 “It’s better go” Antea said to her friend. Usually they settled their hair together, but that morning Cyel had it already in order, not that she had it ever unkempt anyway, but Antea had no time to fix them properly.

 “I don’t want to be the last” she didn’t want to start the morning arguing with her mother.

The girls went down the stairs talking about their duties for the day. They would have start with hawking, they always did that once or twice a week, then they would have their lesson with Maester Luwin, then sewing lesson and singing lesson with Septa Mordane.

 “I’m sure Sansa will show us that beautiful embroidery that she was sewing yesterday”

 Sansa was the eldest of her little brothers and since she was four she had the manners and the movements of the ladies mentioned in the stories. She was graceful and sweet. She was the best at sewing, at singing, at writing and reading among them all. Every men would have been lucky to marry her, not only for her multiple qualities but for her appearance too, she has the beauty of their mother. Some said Sansa Stark was one of the most beautiful ladies of the Seven Kingdoms. Her sister Sansa was almost perfect and Antea was proud of her every day a little more.

Quick footsteps echoed in the corridor, but even before Antea could turn around someone bumped into her, making her almost loose her balance. Whoever had bumped Antea was shorter than her and the lady had no doubt about who was behind her.

 “Good morning, Arya” Arya was her other little sister, she was nine.

 “I woke up late, Antea” she replied catching her breath.

Arya never stopped racing, she was so different from Sansa. Arya wasn’t graceful she was almost wild. She would have rather trained with their brothers all the day, instead of spending ten minutes at sewing lesson. Sansa often reproved Arya, she said that ladies shouldn’t behave like she did. Antea often agreed with her, although she thought that Arya was still young, she could still have some fun. However Antea and Arya had a passion in common: riding. Very often they went to long horse rides, just the two of them, since Sansa didn’t enjoy it very much.

 “Yeah, so did I” Antea said, fixing her sister wild brown hair “But a lady do not ever run”

 “They  do if they are late for breakfast” Arya replied.

 “You are right, they do” Antea admitted and a smile appeared on her little sister’s face, but it soon disappeared when she said:

 “But they do it with class”

 “How can you run with class?” Arya asked skeptically without taking her eyes off her older sister. Antea held out an hand to her, saying:

 “I’ll show you” Arya took her sister’s hand unsure while Antea turn over to Cyel who nodded with a smile.

 “Are you ready?” and  when Arya nodded Antea looked around her to check that no one was around and when she was sure she start running with her sister and Cyel behind them.

Arya squeezed her hand as they raced and Antea could not hide a smile when she heard her laugh. When they reached the first corner Antea slowed her peace to a fast walk. As usual in the corridor there was Maester Luwin with some servants.

 “Good morning” she said politely and they bow their heads at them. When they were out of sight the three girls started to run again. They kept doing that since they arrived in front of the door of the great hall.

 “Understand how a lady runs?” Antea said fixing her sister who was giggling .

 “I understand how a lady cheats” Arya replided making Antea laugh. Her little sister smiled to her and then she entered the room, but when she was half the way her hair was wild once again.

Winterfell main hall was huge. Usually it was there that her father, Lord Eddard Stark, hosted feasts where every single citizen of Winterfell was invited. What Antea liked the most in that hall was the chair who belonged to the Lord of the North. On the handles of the chair were carved two heads of direwolfs, and that prove that that chair belonged to her family since when the Starks were Kings in the North. In fact the direwolf was the sigil of her house. That chair belonged to her father now, and one day it would have belonged to her brother. But that day was far, for now they were just children.

 “Good morning” Sansa was already there, sitting at the table and when she heard her sister’s voice she turned to her with a gentle smile, meanwhile Arya was hugging Jon Snow.

Jon Snow was one of Antea six brothers, her half-brother actually, that’s why his name wasn’t Stark but Snow. Snow was the name given to the bastards of the North, and Jon was Eddard Stark’s son, but not Catelyn Stark’s. Antea didn’t know the story of Jon’s birth, in part because her parents had never talked about that and in part because she really didn’t care. She was just glad that he was born.  Jon was her brother as much as the others.

He was very kind and introverted, Antea loved spend time with him, even if he was always serious. Jon Snow didn’t smile a lot, but Antea liked when he did so. His face was cuter that way.

 “Good morning Antea” turning her head to the right she saw Theon Greyjoy standing on his feet.

She smiled at him, he always greeted her like that every morning and Cyel always started to giggle receiving a glare from Theon, but Antea didn’t understand why.

 “I don’t know how many times I have already told you” she said getting closer to the table.

 “You don’t have to be so formal with me, Theon” she sat next to him, next to the empty space where Robb usually sat. The twins have always sat next to each other.

 “I was offering my respects to my lady” Antea heard Cyel giggling lightly while she was sitting next to Sansa. Theon and Cyel acted like they were brother and sister, maybe because they were both the Lord’s wards and they were both away from their countries, but while Cyel came from the South, Theon was a man of the North. His father was Balon Greyjoy, who after countless failed revolts, had proclaimed himself King of the Iron Island. To maintain the peace after the last revolt her father, Ned Stark, took Theon away from his land as an hostage. And now Theon Greyjoy was one of the two wards of the North.

Theon was few years older than Antea, but he always acted and talked like he was a man grown, even though he still argued with Jon on trivial manners. Jon and Theon acted like they were young rivals. Antea had to admit that it was very easy to start an arguing with Theon Greyjoy, he was too sure of himself and very blunt, but the lady knew that there was more behind their rivalry and one of the reasons was Robb. In fact they both cared for him a lot, they were his best friends. Even though Robb had always said to her to not worry.

_“My heart belongs to you”_ he always said to her.

Robb and Antea were like one person, no one was able to understand her like her twin did.

Robb was the perfect eldest brother, he was strong and caring and every one of them looked out for him. But he was so stubborn and sometimes the only one who could calm him down was Antea. They never argued, not for serious things anyway. For Antea was practically impossible to stay mad at Robb.

Looking around her she realized that her mother wasn’t there.

_Probably she is busy with Bran or Rickon_ , she thought relived. That day would have had a good morning.

Antea loved her mother with all her heart, but it was really easy for them to start arguing, even for trivial things. Catelyn Stark always expected the best from her children.  Her father was different. At first he seemed a cold man, but he really wasn’t. Eddard Stark was a great father, he was very caring with all of them. Antea loved when her father hugged her, she felt completely safe, like nothing could ever hurt her.

 “You are very lucky, little man, that I was the one who find you instead of our mother” Robb’s voice echoed in the hall and turning around Antea saw her twin enter the room with her little brother Bran.

Knowing Bran, Robb must have found him climbing the walls of the castle. It was a curious hobby, but she would have lied if she had said that he wasn’t good at it. Bran climbed with the rain, with the wind and with the snow. Their mother was always worried when she didn’t see him with them, she was so afraid that he could have hurt himself, but Bran always said to her _I don’t fall._

“I wasn’t even half a way up” her little brother replied.

No, of course not. Surely he was almost at the top, but he wasn’t definitely even half a way up.

When she saw him passing by Antea took him by the arm sitting him on her lap and the boy stated laughing.

 “Where is my kiss, squirrel?”

 “I was going to take it on the roof” Bran replied trying to pout again, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

 “Give me my kiss” Antea said starting to tickle him. Bran laughing caused everyone in the hall to smile.

“Give me my kiss” her little brother looked at her with a smile for a moment before kissing her on the cheek.

 “Another” but he shook his head “No?” Bran shook his head once again with a small laugh.

 “Fine, I’ll give it to you” Antea began to kiss him all over the face, when she felt satisfied she let him go to take a sit. When he passed by Cyel, she ruffled his hair sweetly making him blush and then he sat down between Arya and Sansa, who said:

 “But now I want one too” Bran seemed to think about it, but then he gave her a kiss with a smile.

 “I want one too” Robb said behind Antea, who shook her head.

 “You are too old for it” the lady said with a smile.

 “Very well” Robb replied “Then I’ll take it” and he kissed her on the cheek, then he sat down next to his twin smiling at his brothers.

 “You also want a kiss, Theon?” Cyel asked with a tiny grin, making Sansa laugh quietly. It was like the two of them knew something that nobody else knew. Theon glared at Cyel and then he said:

 “From you?”

 “No!” Bran’s voice felt higher than usual making everyone turning to look at him. The boy blushed and after a moment of silent he said:

 “I dropped the knife” Arya approached her little brother pointing at the table.

 “No, it’s right here” she corrected Bran who pushed his sister.

 “Shut up!” Arya laughed loudly. The two children always bickered with each other. Arya was nine while Bran was seven, they were always in competition with each other.

 “Good morning children” her mother Lady Catelyn Stark had just entered the room taking by the hand the last member of the Stark family, Rickon. Rickon was three and very sweet, but he was as wild as Arya.

When they heard Lady Catelyn’s voice Jon, Cyel and Theon got quite and stood up bowing their heads. The Lady of Winterfell nodded to make them sit.

Her mother was the perfect parent and a very kind woman, but she wasn’t so with Jon Snow. Antea could understand her point of view, but why getting angry at Jon? He didn’t ask to be born, it wasn’t his fault. This was the main reason why Antea and her mother often argued.

 “I’m glad that you are all on time” the Lady said with a smile, sitting on her chair, the one next to the Lord’s.

 “Your father will be here soon. He received a message” Antea was so curious now. She always wanted to know what was going on around Winterfell. Sansa always told her, she was too curious.

 “What are your duties for today?” Catelyn asked while the servants brought the breakfast at the table.

 “We’ll go hunt this morning” Robb said looking at Theon with a smirk. The boys always loved the morning hunt.

 “Will you come with us, mother?” Sansa asked sweetly “Hawking with us?” Catelyn stroked Rickon’s hair and turning to her daughter, she said:

 “Not today, dear. But I’ll be there for the singing lesson” Arya groaned leaning back on the chair and immediately Jon nudged her to make her sit composed.

Before someone could have said anything Eddard Stark entered the room, wearing his cloak and a pensive look. Something wasn’t right, he usually had a little smile on his face. Whatever was written on that message wasn’t good.

 “Good morning” again Jon, Cyel and Theon stood up bowing their heads.

 “There is something wrong, my love?” Catelyn asked looking at her husband. Antea did the same, her father seemed concerned.

 “We are not going hunting this morning” he said with is usual calm voice and Robb and Jon looked at each other.

“A deserter of the Night’s Watch” at his words Antea looked down to her lap, she knew exactly what would have happened to the man, and so did her brothers Robb and Jon, who immediately stood up followed by Theon Greyjoy.

 “Bran” when he heard his father say his name, Bran stood up as well, while Catelyn’s eyes went from her husband to her child.

 “You’ll join us today, it is time for you to learn” Antea took a breath. The idea of her seven years old brother seeing a man being beheaded was not really what she wanted to happen that morning. However it was right, that was the law of the North and Bran had to learn it.

Who deserted the Night’s Watch were sentenced to death by beheading by the hands of the Warden of the North.

Bran nodded and quickly he followed his older brothers under the gaze of his sisters, his mother and Cyel. None of them were happy about that decision, but they knew that every Stark had to learn the tradition, one day Rickon would also have to do it.

 “Antea” her mother said once her husband and sons left the room “The morning will proceed as scheduled, until your lesson with Maester Luwin you’ll have free time. You off your sisters” Antea nodded.

 “Of course mother” she said looking at her sisters.

It was easy to find something to do to spend the morning. The Stark children always loved to spend time together.

The girls decided to go to the Godswood and sitting near one of the pools of hot water that got warm every wall of Winterfell. Sansa and Arya went in the kitchen to take some fresh baked waffles, while Antea and Cyel were searching for a blanket to sit on instead of the grass.

While they were looking for it Antea’s thoughts went to her brothers, she had just realized that that was the fourth deserter in a short time. Antea did not remember that ever happened since she had memory.

 “You look so pensive, Antea” Cyel voice reached her as a whisper. Antea had never heard Cyel raise her voice.

 “So do you” she knew her friend and although Cyel had kept smiling she could understand when she was worried, and Antea knew why.

 “I found it” Cyel said finding the blanket. Antea smiled lightly and together the two girls brought it outside.

They spent the morning between talk and gossip, most of them brought up by one of Sansa’s friends Jayne Poole. Not that Antea did not like her, she was just a little girl after all, but sometimes Antea found Jayne’s comments inappropriate for a young lady.

With them there was also the cannel master’s daughter, Faryl’s daughter Palla. She was a very sweet girl and when she didn’t had duties to attend to she spent time with the Starks playing or just talking.

 “Antea can I fix your hair?” Sansa asked getting closer to her sister. She had always loved playing with Antea’s hair since they were little.

 “Of course you can” Sansa smiled happily while starting to braid Antea’s hair.

Meanwhile Arya had found some blue roses. Blue roses grew only in the North and they were beautiful. They were Lord Stark’s older sister Lyanna’s favorite flowers. She died fifteen years ago. Antea had never met her, when Robb and she were born in Riverrun, their mother’s home, Lord Eddard was fighting in the South to save Lyanna, who had been kidnapped by Rahegar Targaryen. Lyanna Stark never came back home in the North and this was what upset Antea the most. Her biggest fear was to leave Winterfell and never see it again.

 “We could make flower crowns” Cyel said sitting next to Arya taking a rose in her hand.

 “Please Cyel, could you teach us to make one?” Jayne Poole asked her enthusiastically. Among them Cyel was the best in those kind of things, she always found a way to adorn her hair with pearls, ribbons, gems and of course… flowers.

 “I don’t want a crown” Arya complained and immediately Jayne Poole started giggling, but she stopped as soon as Antea gave her a glance.

 “Sansa, dear” Antea said while her sister kept fixing her hair “What can we do with flowers?”

 “A flower is like a lady” Sansa replied finishing her work “It is always needed” Antea saw Cyel smile while teaching Palla how to entwine flowers.

 “If you don’t want a crown, Arya” Sansa continued “You could just put them among your hair”

 “I don’t want a head full of flowers, Sansa!” Arya answered back. Antea decided to intervene to perverted a very possible fight.

 “Just one flower, then” she said turning to Sansa with an encouraging smile.

Sansa always hid very well when she was hurt by her sister’s words and Arya never realized that.

 “I’m sure that a flower will be just fine” Sansa smiled at her and approached her little sister. Arya snorted but let her fix her hair anyway. She would have never admitted that she liked the way Sansa had styled her hair, but during the course of the day Antea noticed that Arya stopped at every mirror to check the flower fixed in her hair.    

It was afternoon when Lord Stark and his sons came back. The girls didn’t noticed it because they were at sewing lesson with Septa Mordane and she wouldn’t let them walk out until the very end of it. Septa Mordane was the one responsible for their education to become perfect ladies. She was very strict. She corrected them in everything, from the way they talked, to their posture. Of course her favorite was Sansa. She was very proud of Cyel too. With Arya was another story, she had hard times with her. But Antea was the one she was more strict with, she was the eldest after all.

 “Girls!” Bran’s voice made them turn, he had a huge smile on his face “You have to come with me, now!” he exclaimed running into the room.

 “Brandon!” Septa Mordane scowled him “Behave yourself!”

Bran looked at her for a moment and after looking at his sisters he said:

 “Alright” and he run out of the room. The girls gazed at each other with surprised looks, why was Bran so excited?

They had just resumed sewing when the door burst open again but this time it wasn’t just Bran, Jon and Robb had come too and they were all holding something.

 “Puppies!” Arya exclaimed throwing her work away. Even Sansa stood up taking the puppy Bran was giving to her with a smile.

 “She is so soft” she said bringing her close to her face.

Meanwhile Arya ran to Jon who gave her another puppy.

 “It’s a she” he said while the little puppy was licking Arya’s face.

Antea was still sit watching Bran showing his own pup to his sisters and Cyel.

There was something strange with those pups, they were not dogs but they were not wolves either. What were they?

 “Don’t be jealous” Robb said approaching his sister “There’s one more for you”

 Antea stood up without taking her eyes away from the little black furred creature. It was a direwolf. She couldn’t believe it, real direwolves before her eyes and there was one for all of the Stark children, even for Jon Snow. Direwolves were ancient creatures and they didn’t live on that side of the Wall.

She took her in her arms, she was so small and her gaze have never left Antea, not even for a moment. It was almost like she wanted to tell her a secret.

 “Robb how… where did you find them?” she asked while the puppy was sniffing her.

 “They were just born” her twin explained to her, while Jon was approaching them, with a little pup as white as snow.

 “Their mother was dead, Jon convinced Father to keep them” Antea smiled gratefully at Jon, who dropped his gaze blushing lightly.

 “You choose her for me?” she asked Robb looking at her direwolf. Robb and Jon looked at each other smiling knowingly and then her half-brother said:

 “She and another one were inseparable”

 “The other one is mine” Robb said showing her his dark grey direwolf.

That must have been a sign. All the Stark children had received like a gift from the Gods these direwolf’s puppies. This kind of creature hadn’t been seen for ages.

Now she had to find a name for that little bundle of black fur.

 “You know that, don’t you?” Antea said to Jon, who turn to look at her “Now Cassie will want one too”.      


	2. Chapter 2

[CASSANDRA](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4a/64/1d/4a641dbb2c9d5190a7b5334ef74d27dc--robin-hood-bbc-robin-hoods.jpg)

If ever there was a time when Cassandra Baratheon was eager to come back to King’s Landing, it was during the celebration of her insupportable, spoiled, little brother Joffrey. But _somehow_ everytime something during her journey didn’t let her be there on time to leave for Casterly Rock, to attend the tourney in honor of the _promising_ future King of Westeros.

Cassandra Baratheon was the eldest daughter of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cercei Lannister who ruled Westeros from the mountains of Dorne in the South to the cold Wall in the North, where Cassie spent most of the year.

Yes, because Cassandra Baratheon wasn’t only a princess but she was one of what was historically called a _Keeper of Light._ Or for the most superstitious, like her mother, a Black Eyed Witch, because of the color of their eyes, orbits and pupils, they got at the moment of their birth. Maester Pycelle, who was supposed to be the wiser man in the Capital, said that it was to show their very soul, black and empty.

The Keepers of Light had a terrible power which must have been taken under control constantly by handling their emotions. With just a touch they could _subjugate_ the unfortunate who ends up as the Keeper’s slave. And if this was not enough to scare off, if a Keeper didn’t have her emotions, anger, fear, joy, love… under perfect control she would become a _fury_  who could subjugate without the touch.

The Keepers of Light were only girls and it wasn’t possible to predict their birth, it just happened, especially during the Summer. On Winter not even a Keeper was ever born. 

After the Conquest the Targaryen decided to conduct an annual census to take every Keeper and send them to the Wall to help the Night’s Watch to protect the realm. They said it was to have better protection, but Cassie knew that it was just to have them under control. Targaryens were cowards after all.

That’s the reason why the princess didn’t live in King’s Landing. Not the she had ever complained about that. Her travelling forced her not to spend a lot of time with her family and she was praying that she wouldn’t have to see her mother and Joff as well as all the other she can’t stand in the Capital that time.

Although something was different in King’s Landing and it wasn’t because her mother wasn’t around, but because Jon Arryn got seriously ill.

Jon Arryn was the Hand of the King and almost a father to Robert Baratheon. He was a just and kind man, probably the kindest in all the Capital and the only man in the South who got her father’s trust.

Cassie arrived in King’s Landing just that morning so she decided to go and give her respects to the ill old man.

She walked in the corridor made of red stones which didn’t stop shining because of the sun, even too much to her liking. It was funny how a place so rotten could glow that much under the light.

In the corridor her footsteps were louder than usual and her wild black hair waved against her back, if her mother had been there she would have obligated her to fix it.

_But she is not here, isn’t she?_ Cassie thought  with a big smile on her face.

Cercei Lannister wasn’t a lovable woman, she never cared how her children behaved. Actually her children except for Cassie. She always did something wrong, it didn’t matter how much she tried… not that Cassie ever tried hard anyway. But it was funny how her mother’s face became all red everytime she was mad at her elder daughter.

When Cassandra arrived at Jon’s door she knocked, hoping that his wife Lysa Arryn wasn’t there. Lysa Arryn was a peculiar woman, creepy actually. Totally creepy. Something in that woman wasn’t right and after the birth of her first child, Robyn Arryn, she was even worst, she saw enemies everywhere. Everytime Cassie came back to King’s Landing she found her crazier more and more.

That’s what happened when marriage was the last hope to get troupes!

In fact Jon Arryn had to marry Lysa, who was a Tully before her wedding, to have Riverrun’s army.

Cassie was lucky in that manner… she couldn’t get marry. Not only because Keepers of Light couldn’t be Ladies of any castle, but because she would have subjected her lover. A Keeper of Light couldn’t lie with a man, without making him her slave.

Indeed in Castel Black no man had ever came too close to one of them. Scared bastards.

But marriages weren’t all bad, well… most of them were actually, like her parents’. But Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully, Lysa’s sister, had to marry before Cassie was born, and for what she knew they had something like the perfect life. The perfect family for the perfect marriage. And Cassie knew because she met the Starks often. In fact since her first travel to the North she spent three or four days in Winterfell and a lot more on her way back to the South. She also knew the Stark children and they were… _different_. But different was good for Cassie. No one was different in King’s Landing.

Very often she thought that if she had had brothers like the Starks maybe she wouldn’t have hated them.

It wasn’t like she hated her brothers, except for Joffrey. Joffrey she hated.

But her youngest brothers Myrcella and Tommen she didn’t but she didn’t love them either. In her defense Cassie barely knew them, her mother wouldn’t let her spend much time with them.

 “Come in” Cassie gnashed her teeth hearing Maester Pycelle’s voice. She always needed a lot of patience with that old man. Taking a breath she entered the room.

 “Princess!” the Maester exclaimed standing on his feet. There wasn’t respect  in his eyes, just fear. He had always looked at her like that. If only he had done his readings right he would have known that she was dangerous only if she wanted to be.

Cassie rolled her eyes “How is he?” she asked without looking at the old man.

 “His fever is high, princess” Pycelle answered with a shaky whisper “I gave him the milk of the poppies”

Painkiller… great. It must have been worse that she thought.

 “Cassandra?” his voice was so low, that even an answer from the Gods would have been more perceptible. But when he opened his eyes and he looked at her he started to stir.

 “I have to tell you…” he said starting to sweating “I need to…”

Jon seemed desperate, he kept moving and he tried to get on his elbows but he was too weak for it. Cassie sat next to him trying to calm him down, or at least make him to stay still.

 “… I need to tell you...” Cassie looked him in the eyes, she had always trusted him, so she nodded to let him know that she would have listened to him. But she would have been the only one.

Without taking her gaze away from the man next to her, she said:

 “Get out”

Pycelle stared at her with wide eyes “My princess…”

 “I like when you call me like that” Cassie answered turning to the Maester “But maybe it would be more pleasant to me if you say _my mistress_ ”

Pycelle’s face was white as his long beard and Cassandra even saw him shake slightly. It was a funny view really. But it was soon gone, because the Maester nearly ran out of the room.

Now they could have talked in peace.  Jon voice was too low to be heard by anyone, especially from Maester Pycelle. How old was he by the way? One hundred and fifty? Or something like that?

 “Where were you?” the poor man lying next to her asked in a whisper.

 “Lost on the King’s Road” she said smiling “I will never learn the right way, right?” Jon coughed. He was suffering.

 “You have to…” Cassandra frowned looking at the man who was trying to talk.

 “… You need to hurry…” Hurry? Hurry to do what?

 “Cassandra…” he said opening his eyes a little more “… Flea Bottom…”

Flea Bottom was the poorest part of the Capital. No noble ever went there. Well no noble except for Cassie.

Cassie always loved to walk, she knew every part of King’s Landing. She mostly like Flea Bottom because she could have been alone there. Cassandra Baratheon always walked alone, not by choice at first. Indeed after her first time at the Wall her mother decided to give Cassie’s guard escort to the poor little Joff.

“Joff is the future king after all” her mother said to her “He needs protection more than anyone. And you can protect yourself”

Of course she could. Cassie was trained by Sandor Clagane since she could hold a sword, but it was nice to know where her mother’s priorities laid.

And with her escort even Sandor Clagane was sent completely to Joffrey. That was too bad, Sandor was the only one in King’s Landing she wanted to spend time with. He was the only one who was _different_  in that place.    

 “Flea Bottom, Cassandra!” he shouted taking her wrist “You have to go!”

His grip was tight, very tight, deadly tight. How could he have been so strong?

 “You have to go…” but the door burst open and her father’s thundering voice echoed in the room. It was so loud that probably he had been heard even in Flea Bottom.

 “Cassandra!” Robert said.

 “Hello Father” she replied still in Jon’s hard grip.

Robert Baratheon was standing right in front of her. Whoever ever met Cassie said that she was the exact copy of the King. Same black hair, same blue eyes, same attitude and same perfect warrior figure. At least his former perfect warrior figure.

Robert Baratheon was a little different from when he was younger, well maybe a little more than a little. He used to be tall, handsome and fit. And he still was tall but what once was fit had now become fat. And if that was the mirror of her future, perhaps Cassie should have had to stop eating so many biscuits. 

 “Your mother is not here to bother me and you come back to take her place?” Cassie rolled her eyes, still trying to free herself .

 “I am alright, Father. Thanks for asking” her father looked at her, he was not happy not even a bit. She should have known he would have been sober with Jon in that condition.

 “Why did you send the old man away?” Pycelle entered the room without making a sound. Cassie glanced at her father. He couldn’t stand Pycelle more than her, she was sure he would have sent the old man away too.

 “Step away from him, Cassandra!” Jon was still struggling telling her to go to Flea Bottom and his grip was still around her wrist.

 “You’ve got to be kidding me” Cassie mumbled turning to Jon.

 “Alright, alright! I’ll go and see” she said to the man who nodded losing his grip, giving Cassie the time to free herself.

Damn he could have been ill, but his grip was still pretty damn strong.

 “You need to know that…” he muttered something but her father’s voice covered Jon’s low whisper.

 “Why are you here anyway?” Robert voice was loud.

 “Why are _you_ here anyway?” she said back “Isn’t your son’s birthday? Or something…”

Cassie almost laugh. Her father never seemed to notice her brother’s birthday, she didn’t know about the others, she was never at King’s Landing. For her birthday though she always received a crow when she was at the Wall, but maybe it wasn’t even her father who wrote the message for her. Not that it said a lot, the words where always the same:

_“Happy name’s day._

_Father”._

At least it was more than what her mother had ever wished to her.

Cassie’s messages for her brothers were exactly like his. She never remembered which date was for who but of something she was sure, they weren’t for Joffrey, never for Joffrey.

“You can go, Cassandra” her father said ignoring her last question.

Cassie looked the broken king sitting next to his friend. He never looked at his children with so much care or love. She often thought that Robert Baratheon didn’t have the life that he dreamt to have when he was just a boy. Still she couldn’t know for sure, nobody talked about her parents’ life before her father became King of the Seven Kingdoms. Cercei Lannister didn’t like to talk about it, there were too much irrelevant details in that story. Not that her parents have ever told the bedtime story. But to get an education the only thing they needed to know was that the Baratheons and the Starks fought against the Targaryens and won. But everytime the Queen quickly told them the story, and only after Joff loud request, she always forgot to mention Lyanna Stark. The girl that Robert and Eddard had come to rescue from Rhaegar Targaryen.

And her father, everytime someone asked him to tell that story of the war, he always just got up to go in his chambers.

Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms were happy, but her father never seemed so happy. Well she couldn’t blame him, he has a hyena for wife.

Cassie left the room after have looked at her father and his ill friend for the last time.

She spent all the day alone, like always. In that period the Red Keep was so peaceful that she could barely recognize it. There weren’t so many people around and not as many spies as she was used to.

King’s Landing wasn’t a place where it was possible to live safely. There was always someone ready to use, betray and kill someone else. The only people who could live in the Capitol were people who had spent a lot of time there and mostly not honorable or honest men.

The next morning she was woke up by loud knocks on her door. She looked at her window, the sun was barely up. What was happening?

“My princess!” a servant run in the room, she was breathing heavy like she had run all the way there “It’s Lord Arryn” Cassie got up from the bed already knowing what she wanted to tell her “He died tonight, my princess”

Cassandra looked down, she couldn’t believe how death always surprised her. It didn’t matter how great a warrior or how noble he has been, the death had come and took him away with a simple fever.

“The King wants to see you” She nodded at the servant who bowing her head left the room in silence.

Cassie started to get dressed. She was used to death, a lot of Keepers of Light and Nights Watchers died every day behind the Wall, but still Jon was good. Probably the only good man left in all King’s Landing and death had to choose him before others.

_Gods like to make fun of us_ , she thought leaving her room to go to her father. He probably already knew what had happened and she wanted to see him before he would  got drunk.

“Father” she said once she entered his chambers. There he was, the King of the Seven Kingdoms sitting on a chair looking at the sea below the Red Keep. Cassie wondered for a minute how he could feel in that moment. He lost the man he trusted the most in the Capital and now he was alone against lots of hypocrites. Cassie really didn’t envy her father at all.

“You heard, I presume” the man spoke still looking ahead of him.

“I heard” she said without getting closer. Her father nodded “Why did you want to see me?” she asked after a moment of silent. She was sure her father didn’t call her to talk about what an amazing man Jon Arryn was or how much they all would have missed him. He have never talked about his feelings, not with her and not with anyone else.

“For how long you’ll be staying here, Cassandra?” she rolled her eyes at his question. What? He wanted to send her already away? But strangely she wouldn’t have been surprised by that.

“I’ll stay for other…” her mother and Joff would have come back in a couple of weeks so she was safe. Still the travel to the Wall took a month and she wanted to spend some days with the Starks before came back to her duties “Ten days, I think”

“No, you’ll stay more” her father’s words shocked her, something like that had never happened in ten years of traveling. He stood up from his chair and looked at her.

“You’ll attend Jon Arryn’s funeral and wait for your mother to return” Cassie agreed with the first part but the second made her laugh.

“She will be here in a month” she exclaimed looking straight in her father’s eyes “I can’t stay that long” and not only because she didn’t want to meet her mother.

“She will be here sooner” Cassie puffed, she didn’t know her mother had learnt how to fly during her absence “I wrote her about Jon’s conditions before your arrival” the King said pouring some wine in a goblet “And I commanded her to come back earlier, they are on their way here” Cassie could picture Joff’s face spending his birthday on a carriage crying because he wanted to celebrate with a tourney in his honor “And once they’ll arrive we all leave for the North. We are heading to Winterfell”

She stared at her father with wide eyes for a moment.

“I’m sorry, what?!”         


	3. Chapter 3

[CYEL](https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-f4e8c2ac61c6411f58b15f09b59b727d-c)

“Just a little higher” Cyel said to two servants who were hanging a wreath of blue roses around the entrance, while she was weaving another.

Everyone in Winterfell had been very busy since the arrival of a crow from the South to announce the imminent visit of the King and his family, after the death of the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn.

Cyel had never met the Lord of the Eyrie, but she knew that he was the man who took care of her Lord Stark in his youth. Eddard Stark had been sent at the Eyrie at young age and Lord Arryn became a father figure to him and Robert Baratheon, who was Lord Stark’s best friend before becoming King.

Cyel couldn’t stop feeling sorry for her Lord. She knew what it meant growing up in a foreign land and still feeling at home. She could just imagine how painful losing an important part of your past must had felt like.

Cyel arrived in Winterfell at the age of four and even at that time the castle was very busy, but not for her arrival, for something much more important. Just the morning before the Lady had gave birth to Bran, the fourth and the sweetest of the Stark children.

She still remembered well her first day in the North, even if she was so young back then. The summer snow covering the field, the cold wind against her cheeks and the light mist which gave an almost magical atmosphere. Everything was so different from Dorne, still she could not help but feel herself attracted to the North. Maybe it was the landscape or the kindness of the people but even though she was nervous, she felt immediately at home. Her mother told her that it was normal though. 

Her father could have been prince Oberyn Marlett but Phelya Rosemberg, Cyel’s mother, was a noble woman who belonged to a lower house of the North. Their castle was very far from Winterfell, it was near the Wall. But still, the Rosembergs had been very loyal to the Starks since they were Kings in the North.          

_In your veins flows the blood of the far South and of the far North, don’t forget that,_ her mother always told her. Maybe that was the reason why Cyel had never felt a stranger in the North. But she couldn’t deny to miss her father, everyday.

It hadn’t been easy for Oberyn Martell to let Phelya took her to the North. Even if her father was known for being ruthless, he would have given the world for his daughters. Cyel had eight sisters, step-sisters actually, each of them was a Sand. Sand was in fact the name given to the bastards of Dorne, like Snow in the North.

“Is that alright Lady Sand?” Cyel smiled at the servant.

“It’s perfect” Even though she was a Sand and in fact a bastard, in Dorne bastards weren’t different from legitimate children, they have rights and they were included in the succession. And even if she wasn’t in Dorne her father was a prince and that gave her a position in the Seven Kingdoms. That’s why they called her Lady.

But her name was not enough to appease her father. Oberyn Martell didn’t trust very much people of Seven Kingdoms, because of what had happened to his sister Elia Martell.

Elia was Raeghar Targeryen’s wife and she died killed by a man of the Lannisters. Phelya tried to reassuring Oberyn that Northerners were different from people in the South, but he wanted to be sure that his daughter was threatened right. Because of this he proposed to the Straks an arrangement and if they had accepted he would have let Cyel go with her mother. At the right age, Cyel would have married one of the Stark boys. Even though Lord Stark never liked arranged marriages, both he and his wife accepted the arrangement. Cyel had possessions in the South and whoever would have married her would have become a Lord of Dorne and would have had the Martells as allies. From what her mother have told her, she surely would have married one of the Stark boys but she didn’t knew who her husband would have been yet. Lord Stark preferred for his children to fall in love, so the Starks let Cyel and Phelya stay at Winterfell to not separate the mother form the daughter and even because of the friendship between the Lord and Phelya, who had spent many years of her youth to Winterfell before the war. It was normal for a young lady to spend the majority of her youth in others Lords’ Castles as their ward, to learn how to be a proper lady. So since their first day in Winterfell, her mother had become Catelyn Stark’s Court Lady and Cyel Antea’s. 

“This is a quite good job, Cyel” hearing Lady Catelyn’s voice, Cyel stood up bowing her head.

“Thank you, my Lady” Cyel had always admired Lady Stark, she was a perfect lady and very loved form her people. She hoped that one day she could have been as good as her to run a castle. But she couldn’t deny to feel a bit under pressure when she spent time with her Lady. She always studied her and paid attention to her every move. Cyel didn’t complained though, she wanted to learn after all.

She still remembered the first time she saw the Lady. She had gave birth to her fourth son just the day before but she looked beautiful, like a lady from the stories and she looked at Cyel like she expected a lot from her. Since that day Cyel had tried her best to impress her Lady, who had been always very strict with her but very caring at the same time.

“How’s your mother today?” Lady Catelyn asked looking at the roses on the table.

Phelya got ill a couple of months before, her fever never seems to go away and she always felt very weak. She and her daughter tried to convince their Lords to let them go in Thornhill, Rosembergs’ Caslte, because they didn’t want to be a bother to them who had always been so kind, but they had insisted for them to remain.

“You are part of the family, after all” Lord Stark told them.

Cyel couldn’t be more grateful to her Lords. They let Maester Luwin take care of her mother every single day even if he didn’t seem to understand what was wrong with her.

“She slept tonight, my Lady” Cyel answered looking at her, who nodded with a sorry look on her face.

“I’ll try to visit her, later” Lady Catelyn had always visited Phelya, everyday, but with the King’s arrival she had been so busy that she couldn’t.

“You did a good job here” the Lady said “But I need you to look after the gardens now” Cyel felt so honored to help with the arrangements for the arrival. In fact she and Antea had been chosen to help. At first both girls were happy to not attend Septa Mordane’s lessons, but now they didn’t understand why they’ve complained about them for all those years. Running a castle was stressful and hard, even for someone like Cyel who had always liked to decorate, but doing it for fun was a different story. Now everything had to be as perfect as it could and Lady Stark was very careful at everything they did. But Cyel had a secret weapon, when Sansa had the time, she asked the young lady for her opinion. Sansa was as strict as her mother and she was really honest. Sansa and Cyel had the same age and they’ve always got along very well.

“I like these wreaths” Lady Catelyn said “You could hang some of them in the gardens” Cyel smiled.

“I will, my Lady” and immediately she started to pick up some roses, helped by two servants, and after bowing her head she walked to the gardens.

Winterfell was huge and wonderful, its walls were tall and warm and everyone seemed so happy. The Starks were very kind to all of their people, noble and not. She spent all her life playing in those yards with the Stark children and others kids who lived in Winterfell. Cyel always loved play in the snow, they had so much fun running on white fields chasing each other.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to be up there?” she was hanging one end of the wreaths on the entrants of the castle. Cyel look down and she saw Robb Stark looking at her with a big smile on his face.

“I’m sure my Lord, thank you” she replied making him laugh, it was rare for her to call the young Stark like that and it always made him laugh. He always said to her that it would have been impossible for them to be formal.

Everytime Cyel and Robb talked in the yards people looked at them, they were used to it and they always made jokes about that. They both knew about the arrangement, but Cyel knew that it was highly improbable for them to marry. He was the future Lord of Winterfell, after all. She may be a Lady but she still was a bastard in the name. Even though Robb was a great guy and every girl would have been lucky to have him. He was surely handsome, a great warrior and very funny. He had always made her laugh since the very first day. He was so different from Jon Snow. Jon was quiet and shy and he always seemed to study everyone and everything around him.

She noticed it the first time she met the Stark children. Robb was so outspoken and funny, he immediately treated her like a part of the family; Jon was silent at first, very silent. It took a little while to him to talk openly to her.

It was nice talking to Jon Snow once he opened up, he loved his brothers and he was always happy around them, but when he was alone he looked always a bit sad. The only times Cyel saw him always happy were when Cassandra Baratheon was in Winterfell and Cyel could understand why, that girl was able to make laugh a stone.

“Have you seen Antea?” Robb asked her. Cyel always noticed the love that connected all the Starks, they had always been together. Lord and Lady Stark didn’t send them away to learn their duties in other Houses, they had always been in Winterfell. She often thought that she would have liked to spend more time with her sisters. Tyenne though, wrote her every week telling her what was happening in Dorne. Cyel and her sisters may be not as close as the Starks but they loved each other. Even her older sister Obara wrote her once in a while.

“I think she was in the main room” she replied jumping on the ground.

“It sounds like a _you better don’t go there_ advice” he said without stop smiling. Cyel laughed patting Grey Wind’s head, Robb’s direwolf. Since they had found those puppies they never separate from them, it was like they shared a bond with their own direwolves.

“It’s just that she wanted to hide” Cyel explained thinking about her friend’s idea of hiding in Winterfell crypts, so no one would have found her “And I think that you will help her escape”

“You know me so well, my lady!” Robb said putting an hand on his chest. Cyel shook her head with a smile.

“Well if you go there, I didn’t tell you anything” she said putting her hands on her hips.

“Told me what?” he answered with a smirk. She nodded knowingly, he never failed her.

“I knew I could have trust you” Robb smiled a last time before patting Grey Wind’s head.

“I’ll see you later” he said starting to walk to the castle, with is direwolf behind him “Don’t get too tired” _too late_ , Cyel thought returning to her duties.

It has been another hour of wreaths, make more space in the yards and make everything look perfect. She was hoping that that visit would have pass soon so that everything would have been back to normal.

“Here you are!” thinking about normality, she turn to look at a pissed Theon Greyjoy make his way in the gardens, rapidly marching towards her. Something must have made him very mad, but she always found his angry face funny, so she tried to hide a small smile.

“Where is he?” Cyel looked at him surprised.

“Who?” he rolled his eyes even more pissed at her words. It was normal for them to bickering, since their very first encounter they never stopped. They’ve always felt comfortable with each other and sometimes Cyel thought that it was because their similar situation. They were both wards of Lord Stark and away from their own home. She remembered the first time she learnt that he was in fact an hostage, she had been so surprised. He studied with the Starks, hunt, trained, ate and played with the Starks, it was so strange. The Starks didn’t treat him like a prisoner, it was like he was part of the family so it was easy to forgot the circumstances that had led him to Winterfell.

“Your little friend, Cyel. Where is he?” now she knew who he was talking about.

“Why should I know where Bran is?” She asked turning her back to him, to hide a smile.

“You always know where he is” Theon answered after letting out a small growl. And he was right, she always knew were Bran was. He was special to her, but still Bran was special to everyone who met him. He was a sweet boy and he was very easy to laugh and impossible not to love. The two of them had always get along very well. She remembered when Antea took her to meet her new little brother. He was there in his mother’s arms and he had looked at her for all the time she stayed in the room. His eyes weren’t changed much after all those years. And growing, the two of them became friends easily and spent a lot of time together.

“Well apparently I don’t know this time” she said turning back at Theon who studied her face to find out if she was lying. He of course knew that she was and he surely knew that she would have never spoken.

“You know I’ll find him, don’t you?” Theon said after a minute of silence. Cyel scrolled her shoulders with a knowing look.

“I know you’ll try” Cyel followed his steps with her gaze and when she was sure he was gone she walked to one of the trees in the yard. It was the tallest of all of them and looking above her she said:

“You can come out now, Bran” immediately Bran appeared in front of her upside down, looking at her surprised.

“How did you know?”

“I know you” she answered. The boy looked at her for a moment before climb down from the tree. Cyel had watched him climb a million times, sometimes they even climbed together, but Bran was very good at it, far, far better then she could have ever been, and she was always impressed.

“What have you done this time?” she asked Bran with her hands on her hips and an amused look on her face.

“Nothing” he said while his direwolf run to them, but he could see she didn’t believe him “A prank” Bran admitted at the end.

“I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed shaking her head “You did it without me? I’m offended, my Lord” Bran smiled immediately and she soon followed him.

“I did try to find you” he said shifting from a foot to the other “But you are so busy these days”. Indeed she hadn’t spent much time with Bran or his sisters and she was sorry about that.

“I know” she said nodding lightly “But the King is coming, we need to make good impression”. Bran looked at his feet. He must have been bored, they all always played together, but now no one had the time.

“Tell me” Cyel said trying to make him smile again “How are you happy that Jamie Lannister is coming here?” his face lighted up immediately. Bran’s dream was to be a knight. He knew everything about knights, he knew the story of each one of them.

“I’m so happy!” he exclaimed making her smile “I can’t believe it! I will see a real knight!” In the North there weren’t Knights, for them a man could have honor without been called _Sir_. Bran didn’t want to be just a Knight, he wanted to be a Kings Guard, the guards who protected the King and when they took the vow they gave up lands and marriage. She looked at him and always felt sorry because even Bran could have become her husband one day and if he did, he would have had to give up his dream. But that day was still distant, for now they were just children.

“Cyel” Cyel looked behind her back and saw Lady Catelyn waiting for her.

“I’m so sorry Bran but I have to go” he looked at his mother’s direction too and pouting he said:

“Can’t you spend a little more time with me?” she would have liked it very much, but sadly she couldn’t.

“I’m so sorry Bran” Bran turn to his direwolf. Cyel looked quickly at Lady Catelyn who was observing the two of them, like she was trying to figured out something. “Let’s do this” at her words Bran looked at her “As soon as I’ve done here, I’ll come looking for you so we’ll spend some time together, is that alright?” he glanced at her before smiling again and nodding.

“Yes, it’s alright” Cyel smiled at him when he started running away with his direwolf towards the Godswood.          

She kept her promise and once she had done with the arrangements Cyel spent the rest of the day with Bran and his direwolf. He didn’t have a name yet, Bran wanted to find the right one. The evening arrived soon though, and she run to spend time with her mother, she would have had dinner with her, just the two of them. She loved spending time with the Starks, but it was nice to have some alone time with Phelya. Her mother was everything to her, it was like they were best friends. Phelya was always happy, even now that she was sick, sometimes Cyel thought that she was acting but her mother had this beautiful quality of seeing always the best in every situation.

“How are you?” Cyel asked hiding her worry, giving a plate to her mother. She always brought meals to her, she was her mother after all, she had to look after her. It was so sad looking at Phelya in that period, she was pale and there were dark circles under her usually happy blue eyes.

“The Maester was relieved. The fever is slowly going away” at her words Cyel couldn’t help but smile, bringing her hands to cover her mouth.

“Really?” if it was a dream she prayed the Old and the New Gods to not wake her up. “Mother this is wonderful!” she exclaimed hugging her mother who started laughing lightly. Cyel didn’t know how much they stood like that, but she didn’t care, she was just so happy. In the last few months she tried to stay strong for both of them but even if she tried to take her mind busy, she couldn’t help but worry. But now Phelya was getting better and that was the best news of the day.  

“So, how’s my girl?” Phelya asked, patting her bed, telling her daughter to come and eat in bed with her, under the covers.

“Very tired” Cyel laughed sweetly taking a bite of her meal “I think I’m going to fall asleep on the plate”. She was tired, but that day had been wonderful and she couldn’t wait for the next to help her Lords again.

“If you are so tired than you can’t open your present” her mother said with a playful smirk on her face and Cyel smiled immediately. Her father must had sent her something from Dorne. It was frequent for Oberyn Martell to send his daughter gifts every now and then, just to let her know that she was in his thoughts and with them there was usually a poetry for her and he was able to make her cry everytime. She usually traveled to South once a year, but now with her mother in that condition Cyel didn’t want to leave her, and even if now she was healing, Phelya had to rest and recover, anything else could wait.

“Maester Luwin left it when he came” Maester Luwin was a sweet old man, when he wasn’t teaching them, in those occasions he was a bit scary, even more than Septa Mordane… _well no maybe not_. But still Cyel had always studied to not make the man angry.

The girl took the box that her mother was giving her and with careful moves she opened it. Her father gave her a dress. It was beautiful white with small orange embroidery who seemed to dance all around the gown.

“Gods it’s beautiful” she murmured looking at the fabric in her hands, she couldn’t wait to show it to Sansa, she loved her dresses but unfortunately the young lady couldn’t wear them because she was taller than Cyel, she wanted to see them anyway though. Once she tried with Antea to make Arya wear one of Cyel’s dresses, but the wild lady had run away from the room leaving them laughing. Arya was so different from all of them. Phelya always told her that Arya reminded her of Lyanna Stark, Lord Eddard’s sister. The wildness must had run in Starks’ blood, even Rickon who was still three had great fierceness in him.

“I think I’m going to wear this for the King’s arrival” she could feel her mother looking at her with a smile.

“I think you should” Cyel caressed her new dress once again. Even though she missed her father and her sisters everyday, she was glad she had her mother and the Starks beside her. Cyel had never felt like an intruder in that castle and she had never felt unhappy or alone, not even once, and she would have always been grateful to her Lords for all the care they gave to her. She would have never forget that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for keep reading!!**

**You've known all the girls now, let me tell you what do you think about them.**

**Enjoy this new chapter.**

 

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[CASSANDRA](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c1/40/a7/c140a733b978c77f0081e72859d951e2.jpg)

That had been the longest, literally the _longest_ month of Cassie’s life. She and her family with, more or less,  everyone from Kings Landing had been traveling to the North. Banners with the crown stag of the Baratheons and the roaring lion of the Lannisters were moved by the cold wind of the North. Sometimes Cassie stared at those banners.

I thought our name was Baratheon, she couldn’t stop thinking. Her father had might be the King but her grandfather Tywin Lannister had seen it through, he had been able to put a golden lion everywhere in the Capital.  Banners and people. Most of the guards were Lannisters’ guards, Kings Landing was full of them. Sandor Clegane had been her mother’s personal guard, _when she was still young,_ Cassie thought with a smirk; and now  Sandor was Joffrey’s personal guard.  Moreover, they couldn’t make a move without being followed by Sir Jaime Lannister, her uncle and her mother’s twin brother.

Cassie didn’t understand her uncle quite well. He was handsome and strong, a lot of women would have killed to be with him, but he chose to be a Kings Guard. He was the youngest men who had ever joined that order and even if it was something to be proud of, she was sure that her grandfather fainted when Jaime had told him. Another member of the Lannisters who was traveling with them was Tyrion Lannister. The youngest of the Lannister brothers. He was known as the Imp and he didn’t share his brothers beauty. He was a smart man though, very smart,  too smart for Cassie’s liking.

“Are you always this quite during your journeys to the North, _dear niece_?” _dear... sure,_ she thought looking at her uncle.

“Talking has become so boring these days, _dear uncle_ ” she answered kicking lightly her horse with her heels,  immediately  fastening  its peace. They all knew how happy she was to travel  North, it had never been a secret to anyone even because Cassie had never let it be a secret.

_Honesty is everything_ , she thought heading at the head of the cortege.

She couldn’t wait to be in Winterfell, not only to see Ned and his family again, but even to get away from everyone. She still remembered her first arrival in Winterfell, everything was so dark and cold, but the people were so different from the Southerners. Her mother have always said they were strange people, once she even called them savages.

“You will be surrounded by them soon enough” Cercei said to her, before Cassie’s departure from the capital “Good luck” her words had been echoed in her head for all her journey, she had never admitted it out loud, but she was so nervous. None of her family had gone with her, they just let two guards accompany her. Robert strangely had sensed how uneasy she was, so he wrote his old best friend Eddard Stark to let her stay for a few days at Winterfell.

_The nicest thing he had ever done for me_ , Cassie thought looking at her father.

That visit should have been just a one-time thing, but Ned told her that she would have been welcomed anytime she wanted. He even wanted to take her to the Wall himself, but she refused.

“I’m a Baratheon, I’m not afraid” she answered with confidence. She was five at the time, and she remembered Ned and his wife looking at each other.

_It’s good to be afraid sometimes_ , she remembered Ned’s words still, but she had never  understood them.

_How can it be good to be afraid?_

“Cassandra!” Cassie rolled her eyes hearing the piercing voice of her younger brother Joffrey.

“What do you want now, little boy?” She answered with a fake smile, that she wasn’t try to hide. Little Joff had always hated that name, actually every name that Cassie ever gave to him.

Here he was the future King, on a white horse and a perfect clean sword on his waist. He always acted like he was already a ruler, it was so annoying but so funny at the  time. Well it was funny just for her, he couldn’t be a bully with her, Joff had always denied it but he was scared of her. Indeed he just bothered her when her hands were covered with her gloves. It was better for Keepers of Light to wear their gloves as much as possible, to not be a danger to anyone.

“Mother said that you are stupid if you think that this place is beautiful” at his words she nodded.

“Said the woman who thinks that you are a beauty, or a good fighter for the matter” Joff looked at Sandor next to him. Sandor Clegane was the tallest man that she had ever seen and now he was even taller set on his huge black horse, Stranger. He always looked everyone in silence, people were usually scared by him because of his burnt face. Not all the face, just one side and it wasn’t pretty, but still it wasn’t the ugliest thing that she had ever seen, but maybe because she grew up with him always around. He was the one who taught the two brothers how to fight, with Cassie it had been easier, everything came so natural for her, with Joffery it was a different story, everyone knew that but no one ever told anything. Joff always wanted to prove how strong he was, especially to Sandor, sometimes Cassie thought that he wanted to impress him more than he had ever tried to impress his own father.

“Watch your tongue Cassandra!” now she was smirking.

“Oh! What are you going to do, baby prince?” Cassie could see his face became redder and redder “Bore me to death?”

“I’ll tell mother” Cassandra started to laugh, _typical_.

“Do it, please” she said leaning towards her brother “I was waiting for a good reason to argue with her, today. I was getting bored” Joffrey turned his horse around and she laughed looking at him running to mommy. Between laughing she noticed Sandor glancing at her.

“What?” She asked with a smirk, but he remain still “Come on, it was fun” Sandor had never shown his emotions, but she didn’t expect him to. Not everyone could say what they wanted and Sandor was one of them. But she was sure he had a lot to say to that little child who constantly called him _Dog._

Cassandra looked ahead of her and finally she saw the shape of Winterfell. It was huge, truly huge, so huge that its castle could have hosted its every single citizen.

“I’m warning you now, Cassandra” her father was next to her, he was huge on his horse and in fur coat.

“What?” She exclaimed looking in his blue eyes, the same as hers.

“I promised to your mother that you would have behaved, i don’t want to hear her whine about you, not even once” Cassie rolled her eyes, how could he made a promise that stupid?

“You wouldn’t have to make any promise to her, if you had let me leave when I had to” her plan was simple, leaving King’s Landing completely and sweetly alone, spending four days with the Starks and go to the Wall. As  simple and perfect as it had been for nine years.

“This is an official business, Cassandra” _an useless business_. Her father wanted to ask Ned to become the Hand of the King. Sure the two of them were friends, but she was sure that the man would have never left his family and his precious North to follow a man he probably won’t even recognize. That meant that she had spent a full month with her brother and her _lovely_ mother for absolutely nothing.

“And even if you like it or not, you are part of the royal family. Whatever you do at the Wall can wait”  she almost laugh. He was talking like she didn’t have any duties there.

“Family…” Cassie said with a smirk “If I remember correctly we should be honest with our lords and people, Father”

“Aren’t we always?” He asked after studied her for a moment. Cassandra took breath.

“I think that this family couldn’t be honest with anyone even if the Seven themselves obligate us to be” at this he laughed. It was almost a roar and Cassie followed immediately. There weren’t  many of those moments between them, but she was the only one of all her brothers who made him laugh once in a while.

“My daughter” the King said when he stopped laughing “Sometimes I forget how happy you are to be part of all of this”

_As much happy as you are_ , Cassie thought shaking her head and without realizing it she had passed the Winterfell main gate and people were already kneeling at their passage.

The first meeting with the Starks had went well, she had never saw her Father smiling so wide and Ned seemed happy to see him too. Lady Catelyn had greeted Cassie with a welcoming hug, like she usually did and soon Ned did the same. Their children had been all there. The Queen her mother gave a huge fake smile to the lord of Winterfell, accepting their greetings, but predictably the King hadn’t even introduced his family when he asked Ned to accompany him to the crypts. Her mother’s face has been priceless, pure hate on her face. The Stark brothers had run to Cassie, Arya had been the first to hug her and one by one did all the others, even Cyel Sand and Jon Snow. Cassie had seen Catelyn look at them. Cassandra knew that her friends would have been busy with her family arrival, but she didn’t want to be stuck with her brothers.

“Come on Snow, let’s have a walk” that’s how Cassie escaped from them, she wanted a quiet moment and no one was able to calm her like Jon Snow.

“Look at you” she exclaimed ruffling her friend’s dark hair while they were walking in the gardens “I’ve never seen you all dress up like that” all the Starks were and it was so strange for Cassie to see her friends so formal. He laughed lightly pushing her hand away.

“It’s good to have you back” Cassie smiled gaving Jon a light punch on the shoulder.

Lady Catelyn had worked hard to make everything look perfect, wreats of flowers were hanging around all the gardens, it was pretty, but it was a shame that her mother surely didn’t even noticed them.

People of Winterfell were accomplishing their duties but they greeted her at their passage. She knew more or less everyone in there thanks to the Starks. And not only because she used to play with lot of children, noble and not, but even because the Starks used to have dinner with their people every evening, and there was always a different man sitting next to Ned. It had been so strange to her the firsti time she saw it. Cassie had been used to eat alone in her chambers or with her family, when her father wanted, so it happened very rarely, let alone eating with the poor. But she had liked how people were happy to spend time with the Starks and just because they smiled at them. Even because of that she decided to spend more time in Flee Bottom and indeed her people were always happy when she went there.

Jon and Cassie were talking when they entered the Godswood. She got quiet looking at that place. It was full of pools of hot water and the light mist that seemed to never go away. Countless times she and all the Stark children had played there, even with the Greyjoy boy and the little Sand. At the center of the garden there was a Weirdwood tree. Those trees were strange with a white bark and deep red leafs. There weren’t any in the South because those were the trees of the Old Gods and in Westeros only the Northners believed in them, they deeply believe in them, especially the Starks. In the south they most believed in the New Gods, or the Seven, the others lost their believes a long time ago, like Cassie. Even at the Wall people prayed the Seven, there weren’t Weirwood trees. She didn’t get why still praying someone who would  never answer thought, she had never done it and probably she would have never will.

Suddenly she felt something pulling her cape and turning around her eyes widened. At her feet there was a little white puppy with her cape in its mouth. It was looking at her with strange red eyes. But it wasn’t a dog nor even a wolf. She knew exactly what it was, though.

_It can’t be_ , she thought looking at the creature, _you shouldn’t be here_.

“Ghost!” Jon Snow’s voice made her looked up to him “Ghost leave her alone!” The puppy immediately run to Jon’s side. It was so white that it was almost impossible to see.

“I’m sorry Cassie” the young man said with a smile, but she didn’t even pay attention.

“Where did you find it, Jon Snow?” He looked at her surprised, indeed it was the first time she had been so serious with him, but she needed to know.

“We found these puppies on the way back from...” Jon looked at her sorry.

“The execution?” She finished for him. She knew how it worked and she knew that that was the fourth man of the nights watch who had deserted in the last period.

“Did you know him?” Jon asked.

“Of course I did” she replied still looking at the puppy, but then she looked up and saw her friend nodded lightly with his sorry face. Cassie didn’t get why, the man new what would have happened, he made his choice.

Still even that was strange. He has been the fourth to desert in a short period, Cassie wasn’t at the Wall when he made his choice but her friend Rose wrote her that it was like he went crazy, but she would have told her in person. First people went crazy and now they found direwolf puppies in the snow...

_Puppies?_

“There is more than one?” Jon Snow nodded again looking down to his puppy who was sniffing his leg.

“There are six more”

_Six?_

One was already strange but seven direwolves in the south of the Wall... She didn’t have any words. How was it possible?

“Cassie are you alright?” Jon ansked with worry in his voice, she looked at him. She was very confused, but there was no need to scare Jon, she would have looked for answers once at the Wall. Maybe Maester Aemon would have had answers.

“I was just thinking...” She said looking at the puppy “Ghost, really?” The boy smiled rolling his eyes “Come on Jon Snow, why do you hate him?”

“I knew you would have said something about it” she raised her hands, in a surrender pose.

“I’m just try to save him, my friend” Jon laughed silently.

“He is the quietest of all of them” he explained, thinking that made his choice more reasonable.

“Call him, I don’t know, Shadow or something” she said, but he shocked his head.

“He is white” Cassie smiled rolling her eyes. The old, quite, predictable Jon Snow. He and Robb were the ones she was more attached to, they were special to her, they had always been, since the first moment they’ve met. She remembered that they immediately played together and never once they treated her like she was dangerous or evil.

“Plus Shadow is Antea’s direwolf” With Antea Stark it had been another story. Now they were great friends but the first times she visited Winterfell Antea had been very jealous of Cassie, she was afraid that the new girl would have took her brothers away from her, especially Robb.

“How was your journey?” Jon asked while they set on the ground next to each other.

“Just a  journey” she answered scrolling her shoulders looking at the pool of water in front of her.

“You are strange today, you know?” Jon said while his little puppy set on his lap, Cassie eyed the boy encouraging him to go on.

“You always tell us something about your travels, but today you left before we all could talk” Cassie licked her lips, there wasn’t anything fun to tell.

“I usually travel alone” she said “I need to talk when I see you, but this time I had company for all the way” _and what a company_ , she thought looking at Jon “Plus I thought that you would have all been busy with my family” Jon Snow didn’t seem convinced and he was started to study her like usual. Cassie  always hated that, It was like sooner or later he would have figured out something about her that she still didn’t know.

“Can I ask you a question?” _Here we go_ , she thought at his words.

“I’ve just realized you’ve never talked about your family, why?”

“Because there is nothing to talk about” Cassie answered simply and Jon’s eyes widened in confusion.

“Come on” she exclaimed jumping on her feet to changing the subject, she didn’t want to spend all her time talking about her family “Let me see if your skills are better than the last time” they had always trained together since they were children. It was very fun and the two Stark boys were good at fighting, but usually Robb trained with Greyjoy and she always made sure to be far away from them. Cassie had always have hard times with that boy.

“How long will you stay?” Jon asked once she gave him a long stick of wood while she took another.

“Less than my family that’s for sure” Cassie answered moving her stick for him to block.

“I thought you would have stayed longer this time” he said attacking, but she step away before attacking again.

“Nope” Jon blocked her attack again “I had a schedule you know” she said swinging her  weapon to prevent Jon to hit her “I can’t do what I want”

“The Wall” he said “I really want to see it”

“I have to admit that it is pretty cool” she answered “Huge and made of ice, I’m sure you would love it”

“How many are you?” Jon asked suddenly.

“Us girls? Not many. But boys countless. You know there are lots of criminals in Westeros and too few of volunteers” Be a Night’s Watch used to be an honor and sometimes brave men decided to leave everything to protect the realm. But those times were far, now the only men send to the Wall were murderers, thieves and rapists… all the scum in the Seven Kingdom had become a member of the Night’s Watch. 

“Father told me about volunteers” She was sure. Ned Stark’s little brother was one of them “There is an age for that?”

“There is an _age_ for that?” She repeated laughing at his words “There isn’t even a rule, no one do that anymore” Cassie with a last move disarmed Jon “Good men are dead Jon Snow” then she tossed his stick back and he catch it “You got skills” Cassie saw her friend gave a little smile, but she could tell something was off. Maybe he was hungry, he always had a strange expression when he was hungry.

“Cassandra!” She was shocked when she heard Joff voice.

“What the hell do you want now?” she shouted, while he was making his way towards the two of them.

“Mother will be furious at you when I’ll tell her that you were fighting” then he looked down at her hands “And without your gloves” Cassie didn’t even realize that she wasn’t wearing them. In Winterfell she has never been oblige to take her gloves on.   Cassie looked at her brother with a smirk.

“Hold this” she said tossing her stick to Jon who catch it with his free hand and without stop smirking she took Joff by the shoulder with a firm grip “You really think I won’t kick you in your royal ass just because mother will be mad, little one?” She whispered so low that probably Jon couldn’t even hear her.

“You can’t touch me!” He exclaimed trying to hide his fear. _Useless attempt_.

“But I am and I am still alive” she said smirking “So be a nice little brother and tell me why you came all this way” she let Joff get free from her catch and angry he said:

“You better start to get ready for the feast for tonight, or you’ll have two reasons to be scared of mother”

_Shit, the feast_ , she thought closing her eyes, she had totally forgotten about that. Cassie never liked feasts, but honestly if Ned and Cat had organized it she wouldn’t have miss it.

“Why thank you, little one” she said in a loud voice then Cassie turned to Sandor who was close behind them “Sandor, take him away, please. The winds of the North are too cold for our little King” then she looked at his brother with a smirk “We don’t want

 him to catch a cold” Sandor bowed his head, sometimes he did that to hide a little smile. On Joff face she could see the hate, it was always there every single time they spoke. Cassie had lived just one year in peace. The year before little Joffrey’s birth. What a beautiful and peaceful year, or at least she believed it was... She couldn’t remember any of it.

Joff left, after a poor threat, she was sure, but Cassie was so used to those that she didn’t even listened to him anymore and in that moment she was too busy to think about the feast, that she didn’t have time to listened to him.

“Shit!” She exclaimed turning to Jon. The boy though was glancing at her with a strange look, but Cassie shocked her shoulder.

“I totally forgot about the feast” she didn’t have anything to wear, she hadn’t brought unnecessary things.

“You don’t have a dress, do you?” Jon asked already knowing her answer.

“Do I ever have one?” She answered resisting the need to bit her nail “Listen I have to go, but I’ll see you for the cortage” she started to walk away when she heard Jon say “I won’t be there”

“What?” Cassie asked walking closer to Jon again “Why?” Her friend had a sad smile on his face, it was obvious that he cared about that decision.

“Father said that it’s the better decision” she knew what he implyed by that “I won’t enter with you in the courtage and I’ll sit at the end of the hall”

“I can talk to Catelyn” Cassie had noticed the coldness in Lady Catelyn’s eyes looking at Jon, he was the proof of Ned’s bethrayal during the war after all, but at least she let him stay in the castle, her mother threatened to kill Mya Stone, the King’s bastard, if she had ever shown her face in King’s Landing. Cassie was sure she would have been able to convince the lady to let Jon spend the night with them. She needed Jon beside her, she hated parties and she needed her best friend to be with her.

“No there is no need”

“But Jon” she argued “I’m sure I can..” He put his hand on ther shoulder “I appreciate it Cassie, but don’t worry” she pout at his words, she had already thought how they could have had fun together between drinking two cups of wine and make fun of Theon Greyjoy. Now that evening would have been endless. Even the Stark children would have been busy making company to her little brothers.

“Then I’ll sit with you during the dancing” he looked at her with wide eyes, like she had just cursed.

“But your family” she shock her head not understanding “I’m sure they want for you to spend the evening with them” Cassie let a small laugh escape her lips.

“I don’t think they’ll mind” his lips curved in a small smile and in his eyes there was gratitude, but she punched his shoulder to make him stop looking at her like that, and both of them started to laugh.

“It’s time for me to go” she said turning around leaving Jon and his little pup in the Goodswood. She decided to go to the only girl she knew she had dresses her size and who was happy to help: Sansa Stark.

Cassie was near the entrance of the hallfast when she heard Arya Stark calling for her. The little girl was running towards her with another pup on her heels, though this one had light grey fur.

“Hey little Stark” she said with a smile. For that little wilde thing she had always had a soft spot, maybe because she saw a bit of herself in Arya, the most rebelius among the Starks.

“Want to go horse riding?” Arya asked with a wide smile.

“I wish I could” Cassie said massing her own long dark hair and the little girl punted “It’s not Antea going with you?” Usually the older Stark loved horse riding. But Arya shock her head “She is helping Robb” then she pointed in the direction of her older siblings not far from them “He have to dance with your sister at the feast”.

 Now Cassie understood why the two twins were dancing an laughing together. She observed them, cassie had always observed the Stark brothers. They were so close and nice to each other that they seemed fake sometimes. They didn’t insult one another and there wasn’t a day they spent apart. She didn’t understand that fully sometimes, why they feel the need to be together, Cassandra had never felt that need with any of her siblings, but looking at the two twins in front of her she couldn’t help but think that maybe if she had had a twin she would have felt that kind of bond with him, or she.

“Nymeria, stop that” Cassie looked down and saw Arya’s pup with her cape in it’s mouth. _Again,_ she thought looking at the direwolf.

“What is it with these puppies and my cape?” Cassie asked more to herself than Arya. “So you’ve met Ghost” the girl giggled “Don’t worry you’ll get used to them” the little Stark looked down at the pup “She is mine, Nymeria” Cassie wasn’t surprised she knew how much her friend loved the story of princess Nymeria of Dorne, the one who didn’t bow her head to the Targaryens.

“Grey Wind and Shadow, Robb’s and Antea’s” Arya pointed at two puppies, one dark grey and the other black, which were playing together like thirs owners “Sansa’s is Lady” of that Cassie was even less surprised “Rickon’s is called Shaggydog” Cassie frowned, she wanted to meet this one “And Bran had no idea how to call his” maybe Sweet could have been good, but thinking it through probably that would have been the perfect name to Bran.

After her little chat with Arya she went to Sansa and the girl had been very happy to help her to get ready. She choose for her a white and golden dress and she started to brush Cassie’s hair. The princess was feeling uneasy, no one had made her hair in ages, it was strange to spend so much time to get ready.

“You are perfect” Sansa exclaimed “I hope it’s good for a princess” Cassie had never seen the girl so entusiastic.

“I don’t know” Cassie answered looking at herself in the mirror “But I think that you made a great job, that girl doesn’t even seem me” she liked the girl who she saw in there, maybe she should have started to think a bit more about her appearence, but her life didn’t let her to do so.  She turned to Sansa “You are really good at that, thank you” then she got up “If you were my sister I would use you for this, you know” Sansa’s laugh sounded like a song “I would love to be your sister” Cassie looked at her surprised by her words, but it was nice to hear them.

The two girls arrived together at the cortage. Everyone was there, all the Starks and all Cassie’s family, who looked at her with wide eyes, even her mother was looking at her strangely, there was something in her eyes but Cassie couldn’t give a name to that, but it wasn’t pride, that was for sure.

The first to enter had been the lords of Winterfell accompanying the King and the Queen. Then Robb and Myrcella followed, Cassie saw her sister red cheeks while she was entering the hall. Then had been Joff and Sansa’s turn and Cassandra couldn’t understand the girl happiness during her walk with the future King, who would have been happy to walk with him? Arya and Tommen followed them and Cassie almost smiled looking at her little brother, he was a funny little thing, she had alway thought that. Then arrived her turn. She entered alone, she was the eldest but she was a Keeper of Light, it usually was an honor to a Keeper’s family. After Antea and her little brothers made their entance, followed by Cassie’s uncles, the first shining like a lion, the other shorter but with the same attitude. The last had been the two wards of the North and Benjen Stark, lord Ned’s little brother and one of Cassie’s closest and coolest friends. In fact Benjen was a brother of the Night’s Watch and even First Ranger so he and Cassie spent a lot of time together. She hadn’t seen him before the courtage but maybe she would have had the time to talk to him later.

Before they all started to eat Ned gave a speach in honor of the royal family, Cassie didn’t listen to it, she knew they didn’t deserve the majority of the nice things the lord was saying, so she focused on finding Jon in the crowd, but there were so many people that she couldn’t find him with her gaze.

The dinner had been good and pleasent, Cassie talked finally with Robb and with Ned, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit that she had missed the lord of Winterfell with his rare smiles and kind words. But something had ruined her perfect Winterfell moment, she had heard her mother and lady Catelyn talking about an arragnement, Joffrey and Sansa’s arrangement. Apparently if Ned had accepted to become Hand of the King, Sansa would have married the little worm. _Why?_ Why would they want to do such a thing? They had no idea of what would have ment to be his wife, Sansa would have been stuck with him forever and no crown would have make it better. It was  a real shock for Cassie, she didn’t want for the Starks to be in King’s Landing or mix with her family, they deserved a lot better. The dancing had started and she saw Robb and her sister at the center of the hall. Robb was smiling down at her and predictbly the girl was falling for his charm. Not far from them Antea was dancing twirling Rickon around and Greyjoy was looking at her drooling like usual. Everyone knew the idiot liked the young lady, except said lady. But in her defence, Theon Greyjoy was such a man whore that it was impossible to think that he was serious about her. Cassie didn’t think he was serious. Dancing and laughing there were the little Sand girl and Bran too, Cassie smiled looking at them, it was nice to see how much fun they had together and she even noticed lady Catelyn looking at them from the table, like always. Arya was running around the hall with little Palla, while Sansa was talking with her friend Jayne Pool. Everyone seemed to have a great time and Cassie decided that it was time for her to look for Jon.

She searched for him but it was like he had disappeared.

“Cassie!” The girl turned hearing Benjen’s voice, and she saw the man walking towards her “Hey Ben!” She exclaimed with a smile. Ben was very important to Cassie, she grew up with him, he teached her a lot at the Wall and he had her full respect. He was smiling at her but there was something strange in his eyes.

“Is everything alright?” Cassie asked a bit concerned, there was something off in his eyes.

“It’s just something Jon said” the man said after taking a breath. Her eyes bliked twice, so Jon was in the hall.

“You’ve seen Jon” it wasn’t a question and she was talking more to herself, then she looked at her friend “What did he say?” Benjen put his hands on his hips before speaking “He wants to become a brother of the Night’s Watch” Cassie eyes widened “What?” She exclaimed “Have you told him he is an idiot?” He scrolled his shoulder “He didn’t want to listen to me” Ben took another breath “He wants for me to talk to his father” Cassie shock her head looking at her feet, what the hell was in that idiot’s mind?

“I’m sure he was just angry” at his words Cassie looked up. Jon was angry, she then looked the hall. She thought she knew why he was angry. _Stupid idiot,_ if he had let her talk to the lady now he would be at the table drinking and laughing.

“You know where he is?” Cassie asked to her friend, the man nodded.

“He went out” the girl immediately exited the main hall. If he was drunk and upset she would have brought some sense in that head of his. Usually when Jon Snow was angry he walked in the gardens of the castle, if she was lucky in an hour she would have found him and maybe he would have been more reasonable. It hadn’t passed a lot of time when she heard Jon’s voice, she was coming out the shadow when she heard her uncle Tyrion’s voice.

“All dwarfs are bastards in their fathers eyes” Cassie’s back was aginst the warm wall of Winterfell and she listened closer. Like she had immagined Jon was upset becuse of his last name and she wasn’t happy he had met her uncle “Remeber. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need to be dwarfs”

“Shit!” She coursed. It could have been taken as a good advise, but it wasn’t.

“Congratulations, uncle” she said once he walked pass her “Now it will be impossible for me to change his mind”

“Cassandra” the man turned looking up at the girl with surprise eyes “Is that care that I heard in your voice?” his lips turned in a little smirk. Cassandra ignored his comment.

“You have no idea of what you have done” the princess said.

“What have I done?” At his words she shock her head.

“He wants to become a Night’s Watcher”

“And let him” she laughed at that point, that man had no idea of what he was talking about “Maybe it’s the time for him to think about his future” Cassie looked his uncle dead in his eyes “Not all fathers are like Tywin Lannister” Ned was nothing like her grandfather, he loved all his sons.

“You can’t understand what it feels to be like us, _dear niece”_ he said “Look at you. You have the name, power and respect” he smirked like he had made a point “You have everything” Cassie look at her uncle and took a breath.

“And you have money and respect, and you always talk like your name isn’t Lannister” he looked at her with his different coloured eyes, he didn’t like her answer, but he didn’t have the time to say anything back because she walked away from him. No one knew what the Wall was like, they couldn’t judge and her uncle couldn’t compare someone like Tywin Lannister to a good man like Ned.

She walked to Jon who when noticed her presence turned fully towards her.

“I’ve met your uncle”

“Don’t worry you’ll get over it” at her words he frowned not understanding “Are you serious about the Night’s Watcher thing?” the young man took a breath, he wasn’t pleased with her words, but she wasn’t pleased with his eather.

“Why shouldn’t I?” He argued.

“Because you have a life here” she was starting to get angry.

“Cassie..” But she interrupted him “Have you any idea of what it means to become one of them?” Jon rolled his eyes “Yes, Cassie. Thak you very much”

“Oh really?!” She argued nearly yelling.

“It means I’ll have a chance” he answered “I’ll have a future” Cassie looked at him for a moment before getting closer to him.

“You are not that stupid, Jon Snow, to give up all your life just because you are a bastard” she spoke softly, she hoped to talk sense back in to him, but the boy step away from her.

“You have no idea, Cassie!” Jon exclaimed “ You have no idea of what it feels to live like me”

“Yeah” she said “You are leaving an awful life behind you, sorry Jon, how insensitive of me” he shock his head and she almost laugh at his attitude “But you are right” Cassie continued “I don’t have any idea of how it feels to live like you” then she got closer again, this time he didn’t step back “You want to end your days alone in the cold? Do it” her voice was almost venomous, she had never talk to him like that, then she turned her back at Jon and started to walk towards the entrance again “I don’t give a shit about you anyway” Cassandra didn’t turn to look at him, she walk straight in the castle. She and Jon had never argued before and she was feeling strange being mad at him, but he had no idea of what it ment to be at the Wall, nobody had it.


	5. Chapter 5

[ANTEA](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2d/17/d2/2d17d22e651db9706248b6bf9c329420--robin-hood-bbc-robin-hoods.jpg)

“I’m done!” Antea followed her twin in his room and shut the door behind her.

“Would you please calm down?” She said looking at the door and then at her furious brother who was throwing his gloves on the floor.

“I hate that kid!” He exclaimed, his cheeks were red and his eyes full of anger “He can’t come here and make fun of me just because he is the prince”

Her brother and prince Joffrey had had hard times during the training that morning. Everything was going well, Bran and Tommen had trained and then had been the two older boys’ turn, but after Robb had beaten Joffrey, the prince wanted to fight with steel swords. Robb wanted to do it, but Ser Rodrick forbid that. He never let the boys trained with real swords, they were too young and Antea agreed, she didn’t want for her brothers or Theon to get hurt during the trainings. So the prince started to say that Robb wasn’t brave enough. Her twin was so furious that Theon had hard times to take him away from the field.

“And even his personal guard” he said sitting on his bed “Or Cassie” _even Cassie,_ she thought. Not that Cassie had insulted them, she didn’t. But she didn’t even say anything when Sandor Clegane said that Ser Rodrick wasn’t a good Maester at arms. Antea didn’t know what she expected, but maybe she wanted for her friend to say something, she seemed to do that a lot these days.

“What’s with her, anyway?” Cassie was so different that time, she barely eat with them, she ignored her own family and she spent time with Antea or her brothers only when the princes weren’t with them. She didn’t even see her with Jon anymore.

“I don’t know” Antea set next to her brother and put her chin on his shoulder, he immediately turned to kiss her temple “I think they are just a strange family” Robb snorted “Good thing they are the royal family” Antea smiled at her twin’s words.

The Baratheons were strange indeed. The King seemed to like his wine more than his wife. The Queen was a cold woman in Antea’s opinion and her smiles never seemed true. The prince wasn’t charming or funny or pleasant to spend time with, he was just a whiny young boy who liked to have everything under his power. At least Myrcella and Tommen were young and nice, of course not as nice as Antea’s brothers but maybe she was judging out of love. And then there was Cassie, who didn’t even seemed to be part of the family with her attitude.

“Why didn’t Cassie never talk about them?” Robb said “At least we would have known that her brother is a twat” Antea slightly smacked his arm.

“Robb!” He laughed looking at her attempt to maintain a straight face “He is our prince, we have to respect him even if he is an idiot”

“Look who isn’t watching her mouth, now” Robb said and she snorted at the end.

“Stop it” she said standing up “Why don’t we take a walk?” A nice long walk was what Robb always needed when he got angry. Once he and Theon had a fight and he walked for three hours around Winterfell, their mother even started to get worried.

“Alright, sis, as you want” he answered before leading the way.

The twins walked with their arms linked to one another and Grey Wind close to their heels.

“Where’s Shadow?” Robb asked, looking around.

“Oh you know her” Antea answered “She is here, but she doesn’t like to be seen” when she first told Robb about her choice for her pup’s name, he thought it was because Shadow’s fur was black, but the truth was that Shadow was impossible to be seen if she didn’t want to be. But Antea knew she was there, she was always there fallowing the girl around the castle. Antea call that a connection, because how was it possible to her to be sure Shadow was there? it was like she was able to feel that pup, it was strange at the beginning, but now it felt so natural.

“Robb, the princess” Antea whispered when she saw the blond girl sitting on the ground with Sansa and her friend. When the two passed by they bowed their head to the princess.

“My princess” they said together.

“It’s lovely to see you” she answered with a gentle smile. She was so nice, why had Cassie never spoken at least about her?

“Are you staying with us, Antea?” Asked Sansa with her soft voice “We are going to braid our hair”

“Not today, sweet sister” Robb said affectionately patting Sansa’s hair “Today we want to spend some time together” Sansa shook her head with a smile.

“Like it never happens” then she turned to the princess “But having here princess Myrcella is not something that happens often” the little girl blushed with a small smile before saying:

“My lord, do not worry. We have plenty of time” Robb bowed his head.

“Thank you so much, my princess” Antea bowed her head too.

“Spend a lovely morning girls” she said “I’ll see you all at sewing lesson” after that she fallowed Robb that was already leading her away.

It was a lovely day, the sun was warming up a bit the cold air of the North, it was perfect for the Royal Family that was, of course, used to a total different weather. But they seemed to enjoy that day, most of them were outside.

Walking they saw prince Joffrey and his scary personal guard Sandor Clegane walking and talking. Actually only the prince was talking, the older man just nodded now and then. Then they saw Bran and Cyel in the goodswood, their favorite place, playing with Bran’s direwolf. Bran was trying to show her how his pup took back the stick that he throw, but the little thing just looked at him without moving.

“Don’t stay there just looking at me. Take the stick” he seemed almost desperate, but his frustration just seemed to amuse Cyel more and more.

“Stop laughing Cyel” he said splashing the girl with the pool water. The twins left them laughing, too busy to splash each other than to pay attention to them.

“Robb, Antea” Jon Snow’s voice made them stop and turn around.

“Hi Jon” Antea greeted him with a smile.

“Jon, brother. Is everything alright?” Antea looked between her two brothers with a questioning look. Was Jon worried about something?

“Actually yes” Jon replied “There is something I want to talk to you about” Antea bit her lip, that happened a lot. It was never easy to understand what was on Jon’s mind. He was very introverted and he usually didn’t talk about his worries, sometimes she thought it was to not alarm his brothers, but Antea would have liked to look into his eyes and understand him to help him better, like she always did with Robb, after all since she had memory there’s always been the three of them.

“What is it?” Robb asked encouraging their brother to speak. Jon fixed his gloves and after taking a breath he spoke:

“I want to leave to the Wall, to become a brother of the Night’s Watch” at his words everything seemed to stop for a moment. Looking Jon’s expression she realized that both her and Robb hadn’t spoken a word.

“Well that’s…”

“New” Robb finished for her. Well it was new indeed, but it was even rush. Becoming a member of the Night’s Watch was a vow for life. He could never go back if he made this choice.

“I know but I realized it’s the best thing for me” if all of this was new for Robb was ten times more sudden for Antea who was just looking at her brother.

“What did Father say?” Antea looked over her twin, she didn’t know what answer she wanted to hear. A part of her wanted for Jon to stay, he was so young, but another part wanted to see him happy.

“He said that I have to clean up my mind” he answered not pleased by their father’s words “He said that I have time, but if I am sure I can leave”

The way he spoke made clear to her that he really wanted to leave, she couldn’t stop thinking about the shocked expression on Robb’s face. If Jon really wanted to leave for the Wall, was it possible that he have never talk to his brother about it?

Antea suddenly realized how little she knew about what Jon wanted. Was it possible that she didn’t knew her own brother that well?

“When are you leaving?” She spoke for the first time.

“With Cassie?” At her twin question Antea felt her heart skip a bit. Cassie was leaving the morning after, would she had to say goodbye to her brother so soon? Watch him go away without knowing when she would see him again?

It was so strange, she felt so strange, it was like she had just realized that one day they all would have their own life, their own home, away from one another. Without realize it she clanged onto Robb’s arm.

“No” Jon replied quickly “I’m not leaving with Cassie”

“Have you two had a fight?” Robb said with curiosity in his voice. Jon shifted from foot to foot shocking his head.

“Anyway” he said looking at Antea “I’ll live with uncle Benjen in ten days” she nodded.

“Is this really what you want?” The girl spoke with a whisper that she wasn’t even sure he had heard her. But he nodded his head.

“It’s what I want” he wanted it, he wanted to change his life. Antea forced a smile and stepping forward she hugged her brother. Her face was pressed on the white fur of his cloak and she felt his arms hugging her close.

“I’m happy for you” she said before giving him a kiss on his cheek.

“It seems that you already made up your mind” Robb spoke once the two broke the hug, he got closer and hugged Jon. Antea watched them smile to each other, she could just imagine what feeling they were hiding.

“I wanted to talk to you about that before make any decision” Jon said looking between her and Robb.

“Well, if you are sure than you should go and talk to Father” Robb said patting his brother shoulder, who give them a little smile before walk away with his direwolf beside him. Antea was looking at Jon when she felt Robb arm around her shoulders.

“I think now it’s you who needs a walk” she looked up to her twin nodding lightly.

“Yes, please” he smiled taking her arm under his, before starting to walk again.

The walk was silent, Robb squeezed her hand every now and than, but the thought of Jon leaving had already changed Winterfell a bit, but Robb was there and she felt safe with him, Antea hoped that his presence would be enough to make things better like it had always been.

When they approached the main entrance of the castle they heard the sound of steel  smashing together. They looked at each other, it couldn’t be Theon they didn’t used steel swords. Walking to the field where the boys always trained they saw Cassie with her daggers out agains the famous Kingslayer.

“You are not even trying, Cassandra!” He shouted to an annoyed Cassie who marched around the field.

“Are you bored?” She said “That’s why you are boring me?” The Kingslayer attacked the girl who blocked his attack with one of her shining daggers. _Valyrian steel._

Mikken the blacksmith once told them that the princess had with her real Valyrian steel. It wasn’t a common material. Only few Houses could say that they possessed that precious and ancient steel. Her father, Lord Eddard, had a sword made with it. His long sword Ice, it shined exactly like those daggers.

“Are you kidding me?” The man complained at the girl. Antea didn’t understand all those shouting. Jamie Lannister wasn’t winning that fight and Cassie had always fought like that.

“Can you go and call Sandor?” Cassie said “At least he doesn’t speak while we are training” her black hair were shining as much as her uncle golden hair, it was beautiful to see them fighting, it was like they were dancing.

Antea knew what Robb thought about the Kingslayer, but it was undeniable that he was very good at sword fighting.

“You are in a worst mood than ever, niece” the man said lowering his weapon “The North and its kids make you weaker” Cassie looked at her uncle, fire in her eyes and for a moment Antea thought she was going to attack, but then Cassie put away her daggers.

“You know what?” She said “Fuck it, this is my vacation. I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time with you”  The man shook his head with a cold laugh.

“Too much of your father in you” he said, Cassie looked at him up and down before turn her back at him.

“Have a nice day” Robb and Antea looked at each other, they surely had noticed the same thing. Those two didn’t talk like they were a family, Antea didn’t know what she had just seen.

The twins looked at Cassie who was picking her things up when they heard Jamie Lannister’s voice.

“The future lord Stark and his twin sister” he said and Cassie looked up “Do you want to train for real, my lord?” Antea didn’t like his tone, mocking and even disrespectful. They could be the royal family, but they were their hosts after all.

“Then maybe we should wait for Sir Barristan, he could teach you two or three things, uncle” Cassie said walking towards the twins.

“Hi” she said.

“Hey” Robb said unpleased, looking behind the girl’s shoulder.

“Just ignore him, like we all do in King’s Landing” the princess spoke with a smile moving her long black hair hanging over one of her shoulders “What were you doing?”

“We were taking a walk” Antea said looking at Robb, who was still looking at the Lannister that was now walking away. Cassie nodded with a smile, she was so different from the girl Antea saw just a few moments ago. Of course Cassie had always spoken her mind but she was so cold with her own family that Antea couldn’t stop asking herself which one was the true Cassandra. The funny one that they had always seen or the cold one from just a moment ago.

“You are leaving tomorrow?” Robb asked.

“Yes, indeed” the girl answered nodding her head one time.

“We didn’t even spoke” Robb complained “It was like you weren’t here”

“What? Have you missed me Robb Stark?” Cassie teased him, pushing his shoulder lightly, making him laugh.

“Not me but maybe Jon” Antea noticed that Cassie changed expression, like it was the last thing she wanted to talk about “Did you two have a fight?” Robb ask with curiosity.

“No” the girl shook her head “Just different schedules I think” it was obvious they had a fight, Jon and Cassie always spent time together and had fun together, Jon always smiled when she was around. She always told him something that had happened during her long travels on the King’s Road, maybe she told him about the Wall too.

“Jon wants to leave for the Wall” at her words Cassie turned to look at Antea, her mood changed once again.

“Does he?” She asked, but Antea wasn’t sure she was surprised.

“He told us just before” Robb said.

“Did you know about that?” Antea asked looking at the girl in front of them, who put her hands on her hips before speaking.

“He told me the night of the feast” the twins looked at each other, then Robb spoke:

“And what do you think about it?” Cassie was the only one who knew exactly how the Wall was like, not even their Father could know it that well, but Cassie just shook her shoulder.

“Robb, what can I say?” She said “It’s none of my business” Antea frowned and Robb just studied Cassie up and down, as if he didn’t recognize the girl before them.

“I have to go and prepare my things for tomorrow” she said before walking backwards from them with her usual smile “I’ll see you later” they looked in the girl’s direction for a minute or two in silence before Robb spoke:

“What just happened?” Antea shook her head.

“You tell me, she is one of your best friends” those days had shown another part of Cassandra Baratheon, Robb said maybe she was in a bad mood, he always justified her, but maybe he was right, he knew the princess better than Antea. Of course the two girls were friends, but they had never been that close.

The next morning they were all outside to say farewell to Cassie. The girl just wore her black dress, the Keeper of Light’s dress, her cloak, and her daggers on each hip. She didn’t had anything else.

Cassie walk straight to lord Eddard and embraced him. Antea’s father laughed lightly with his deep voice.

“Thank you, Ned” she said with a big smile on her face

“Stay safe, dear” Cassie seemed to study the lord for a moment.

“You too” she said serious before lighting up again “I’m not scared of the North, my lord” then she moved to hug lady Catelyn, who asked her if she had taken everything.

“It’s not that much, Cat” she said “but yes, I’ve got everything I need”

Then she moved to Robb who asked with a smile:

“When I’ll see you again?” Cassie scrolled her shoulders.

“Who knows” she replied.

“You own me that fight that we always talk about” it had been years now that Robb and Cassie wanted to fight seriously on the field, to see who was the strongest, but until now there wasn’t the occasion.

“Why do you want to be beaten so bad?” Robb laugh echoed in the yard before they shared a quick hug.

“Till the next time” he said once they broke the hug.

“Till the next time” Cassie repeated. She couldn’t make a move because suddenly she was crushed by Arya, Bran and Rickon in a group hug.

“Antea and I found a beautiful place to ride, I’ll show you next time” Arya said jumping up and down.

“You have to tell me all about the Wall” Bran spoke over Arya “The coolest things about the Wall”

“You have to teach me how to beat someone!” Antea noticed her mother’s eyes opening wide at Rickon’s demand.

Cassie was laughing while the children kept asking her things she would have to bring to them or tell to them.

“Sure, guys” she said.

Antea eyes fell to the Queen who was looking at the scene with a strange expression, like she wasn’t happy of what she was just seeing before her.

“Goodbye, Cassie” Antea looked at Sansa who was bowing her head gracefully to the princess. Cassie did the same with an affectionate smile, before turning to Antea.

“Antea, till the next time” she said.

“Of course, Cassie” she answered “Be safe on the road” Cassie then smiled to Cyel who bowed her head, then she shouted:

“Hey, Greyjoy” Antea turned to see Theon rolling his eyes “It wasn’t a pleasure, like always”

“Likewise” he replied annoyed. Antea was pretty sure that those two really hated each other, they were too similar in some ways.

Then Cassie stopped in front of Jon, but they didn’t say anything just looked at each other, before Cassie turn her back to him and move in front of her family.

Antea was surprised when the Royal Family just bow a little to the princess, the Queen and the prince weren’t even too keen on doing so. Cassie stopped in front of her father and they look at each other, like they were having a conversation with their minds. Then Cassie turned to go to her horse when little Tommen spoke.

“Bye, Cassie” the little one was held tightly by one hand by the Queen, but he was waving his free one to his sister. Cassie stopped when she heard her name, and she looked at her little brother with a surprised smile and after a moment she waved her hand to him to.

“It’s Cassandra, Tommen” Antea saw her Father glaring at the Queen when she spoke.

Cassie seemed not to notice and on her horse she ride away from Winterfell with Arya, Bran and Rickon following her till the main entrance, like always.

 “Did Jon and Cassie had a fight?” Antea turned to Cyel who was looking at an angry Jon Snow.

“It seems like it” Antea answered observing her two brothers talking to each other.

“It must have been on a serious matter” Cyel guessed “If they didn’t even spoke to each other” Antea agreed, Cassie was surely proud but she had never seemed the type who stayed angry for long.

“Good morning, my ladies”when Antea turned around she saw the little Queen brother, Tyrion Lannister, known in the Seven Kingdoms even by the cruel name the Imp. Lord Tyrion was a dwarf, he had golden hair like his brothers but not the same looks, even his unmatching colored eyes were different from his brothers’. Although this man before her was famous for his wit and intelligence, she didn’t understand why gave him that terrible nickname.

“Good morning, Lord Tyrion” she greets bowing her head followed by Cyel.

“Good day, isn’t it?” The man said with a pleased voice.

“It must be a bit sad for you, my lord” Antea guessed smiling politely “Seeing your niece go away” Lord Tyrion scrolled his shoulder hugging his cloak closer, that day was colder than the previous one.

“Do not be worried about me, my lady” he said “Seeing your beauty ease any pain” Antea couldn’t help but blush, nobody except her brothers and father have ever complimented her in that way. She didn’t even know how to answer. But Cyel seemed to noticed so luckily she spoke:

“How are you liking the North so far, my lord?”

“Different and cold, like I’m sure you’ve found when you first came here” he replied looking at Cyel, then his expression became curious “How are your engagement going, lady Sand?” This time was Cyel’s time to blush, Antea knew that sometimes she didn’t feel at ease talking about that. Antea could understand why, she was a guest waiting to marry one of the boys she grew up with, of course she wasn’t comfortable talking about that, especially with a stranger.

“It’s early to say” Cyel managed to answer with a flush of pink on her cheeks “But I’m sure we’ll be very happy” Antea linked her arm with Cyel’s.

“Of course you’ll be” she said before turning to lord Tyrion “Forgive us, my lord, but now it’s time for us to go. Have a good day” the man bowed his head with a big smile.

“Good day, my ladies”

That was really a strange man, were the men in the South all like that?

“Remind me why do I always have to help you?” Cyel whispered while they were walking towards the main entrance of the castle.

“Because you are a really good friend” Antea said with a small laugh and Cyel immediately followed her.

The morning had been the usual, Antea, Sansa, Arya and Cyel were all sat in the main hall with princess Myrcella and they talked about their countries, tales and dresses. well they were, Arya was in a corner pouting every now and then. She wanted to go outside and play with their brothers and the smallfolk, but now everyone was busy, they would have time to play later.

“Antea” hearing her mother’s voice she turned to look at her, Sansa and Myrcella smiled while Cyel bowed her head.

“Yes, mother” the girl said standing up. Catelyn Stark stopped in front of her, her auburn hair shining as much as her blue eyes. Antea always loved her mother’s hair, its color was beautiful, Robb had it, but Antea hadn’t. She had inherited her mother’s looks but her father’s colors, dark hair and grey eyes.

“Come with me, dear” she said with her soft voice “Your father and I have to speak to you” Antea looked at the girls and she noticed a very happy Sansa, like she knew something they all didn’t. Antea stood up and followed her mother in Winterfell’s corridors. The girl brushed her fingers on the wall while she was walking, she had always loved how the stone was hot under her touch, the warm water that run into them kept the castle warm against the cold weather outside.

“Is everything alright, mother?” She asked after studied her mother for a bit, her face was still but her eyes were… sad. Why was her mother sad?

“It is, dear” she answered forcing a smile back to Antea “Don’t worry” now she was worried. Did something bad happen?

They walked in silence before they arrived in front of her parent’s chamber. A lot of questions rounded in her head while her mother opened the door.

Her father was there with his forehead resting on his hands, something that he did when he was tired or overthinking.

“Father” hearing her voice made the man look up and a smile appeared on his face “Did you wanted to see me?” She asked.

“Indeed” he replied “Sit down, Antea” she did as her father asked looking at her parents. She could tell they were both forcing their smiles, but there was something wrong, she could tell.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I’m just going to say it” her father said after taking a breath and his smile was already gone, like her mother’s “I’m going South” Antea’s heart ached “I’ll become the new Hand of the King” becoming the Hand of the King was a great honor, it was the man who gave advises to the King, who helped him to rule. She knew that the King had offered that position to her Father, but she was sure he would have denied it. He had to leave his country, his people. And what about his family?

“We are leaving?” She asked twisting her shaking hands. Her parents looked at each other, there was pain in their eyes.

“No, not all of us” her mother spoke, Antea could see her parent’s arms close, they must have their hands clasped together.

“Your mother will stay here with Robb, helping him rule the North, while I’m away” her father looked at his wife with sad eyes. Antea knew how much they loved each other. They had been so lucky to fall in love even if theirs was an arranged marriage.

“And Rickon will stay too” Catelyn said, her husband nodded before speak again:

“He is too young to be away from his mother” Robb and Rickon would stay at Winterfell and she felt her eyes watering, she already imagined what was to come.

“But the rest of you will come with me, as guests of the Crown” they wanted to make her leave Winterfell, her own home, without her own twin, to go into a different country.

“I know it must be shocking for you, dear” her father said, he knew how much she loved the North and the cold.

“But it’s a great opportunity for you, Antea” her mother words made her frown.

“Is it?” She asked harsher that she intended to be.

“Of course” Catelyn answered “You’ll learn more about the Seven Kingdoms” Antea didn’t care about the other Kingdoms, she wanted to stay in her home.

“But I don’t want to go” she said before she could stop herself “Please let me stay with you” Antea pleaded her mother “I can help you with Rickon” she heard her father taking a breath.

“I know that you don’t want to leave Robb but…”

“But you are fifteen, Antea” her mother said interrupting her husband “You have to start to think about your future” her future…

“You won’t live forever in Winterfell” Catelyn kept saying “You have duties, you have to find a proper husband, you…” Then she took a breath “Sansa is going South because she will be wed to the prince” Antea didn’t know she was engaged but she wasn’t surprised, Sansa was almost perfect and with an important name, she was the right catch for a future king “You are the eldest, it’s time for you to think more about your future and less about your brothers’” Antea knew her mother was right, of course she was, but it was all so soon.

“Dear, I’m sorry to put you through such a pain”  Her father said kindly “But it’s important for you to come with me” It was painful, it really was, to say goodbye to everything she had ever knew, to her own brothers and friends.

“I understand” she answered “It’s the right thing to do” her parents looked at each other, that her father walked towards her and giving her a kiss on the forehead he said:

“I’m very proud of you” Antea forced a smile leaning closer to her father, but even his warm embrace wasn’t making everything better.

Antea set outside for hours, after her talk with her parents, watching the people she grew up with living their lives in Winterfell. Her people and her home. She already started to miss them. No more hiding in the dark crypts, no more games with the other children, no more snow. It was so strange thinking that she should have left everything behind.

Of course she would be having her father, Sansa, Arya and Bran, but the Stark family wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t all together. It seemed just so wrong, Antea thought looking at her home.

Suddenly she felt something rubbing her leg and looking down she saw her little black direwolf next to her, it was like she wanted to comfort the girl.

“You showed up at the end” Antea said petting Shadow’s head with a smile.

At least she could have brought her South and she was relieved by that, she would have

never left this pup behind.

“Antea?” the girl looked up when she heard Theon Greyjoy’s surprised voice “I thought you were with Septa Mordane” she should have been with the Septa but she wasn’t in the mood for a lesson, she had so many thoughts in her head at the moment.

“Are you alright?” the boy asked and Antea nodded her head with a small smile “Yes, I

am” she didn’t want to oblige Theon to listen to her problems. The boy looked closer and pointing at her he said “You bite your lip”

“What?” Antea asked without harsh in her voice.

“You usually do that when you’re overthinking about something” Antea looked at him surprised, she had never realized that “Or so is what Robb says” Theon said quickly after a moment of silence, scrolling his shoulders. The girl’s lips curved in a small smile before looking back at her feet.

“Do… do you need to talk?” Antea’s eyes met Theon’s, she was grateful to her friend, he was always kind to her, in Theon Greyjoy’s own way of course. But she shook her head.

“I’m sure you have more pleasant things to do than stay here listening to me” Theon gave her one of his usual wide smiles.

“And watching your brother and the little prince argue again? No thank you” he said sitting next to her “I’d rather stay here listening to my lady’s problems” Antea couldn’t help but smile at his words, like usual, he was always able to do it. Theon had always been there for her and Robb, he was nice with her sisters and Cyel and he played with Bran and Rickon. She trusted him and she began to talk even before she realized it:

“I’ve just talked to my father, apparently he will become the new Hand of the King”

Theon seemed surprised at her words, like she had been when her father told her. then Antea took a breath before continue “He is going South and he is taking Sansa, Arya, Bran and me with him”

“You are going South?” she didn’t look at him, but his usual happy voice became suddenly sad.

“I’m afraid so” Antea’s gaze was fixed on her hands.

“For how long?” a sad smile appeared on her face, that was what she was scared about.

“’Till I get married, I think” than from King’s Landing she would have to move in her husband’s house, maybe in the South, and she would have to make new friends, in a new place so far from her North. It would have been years before she could come back to Winterfell, but at that point it wouldn’t be her home anymore.

“I don’t want to go” she said turning to Theon, who was already looking at her “I knew this day would have come, but it’s too soon” Probably he was thinking she was a stupid acting like this, but there was something in his eyes that told her to keep talking “I’ll just miss all of this so much” the girl said looking back at Winterfell.

“Can’t you stay?” Theon wasn’t smiling anymore. She wished she could, just stay

in her home and keep living her beautiful life but it was impossible. Antea shake her head sadly “My father wants for me to go with him, I can’t ignore it”.

She was Antea Stark and she was fifteen now, almost a woman grown ready to get married. She had to start to think about her future and finding a husband like every other lady. She had been lucky that her parents had let her live her childhood freely, but she had to face her duties now. Cyel was their guest to find a husband and even Sansa would be leaving for the South to follow the prince. It was Antea’s turn even if she had always prayed for her husband to be a man of the North.

“Alright” Theon exclaimed “Let’s get married then” he talked like it was the most simple thing in the world and Antea couldn’t stop a laugh leaving her lips.

“What?” Theon smiled back at her nodding “Yes so you’ll have to stay here” they looked at each other and she started to laugh softly, Theon seemed happy while his gaze was on her, studying her.

“I’m going to miss you, Theon Greyjoy” Antea said honestly, she would be missing him, his confident attitude, his remarks and how he made her smile. But he seemed surprised at her words and she didn’t quite understand why.

“Really?” he asked and for a moment Antea swore she saw his cheeks turn a pale red, but they both turned her head when they heard Robb’s voice yelling:

“Greyjoy! Take your ass over here!” Robb, how was she going to tell to Robb? The thought of leaving him behind was killing her. They had always been together, she wasn’t ready to live without him by her side.

Theon took a deep breath and it was like he really didn’t want to go, but after giving her a small smile he stood up, but Antea followed him immediately and stopped him gently by the forearm.

“Theon please, don’t tell Robb” Theon looked at her hand before looking up at her “He doesn’t know yet and I want to be the one who tells him” she begged with her eyes, she knew that her brother and Theon said almost everything to each other.

“Of course” he said nodding his head. Antea smiled at him “Thank you, really” Theon

looked at her for a moment returning a small almost sad smile, not one of his usual wide smiles. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking about but she heard Rickon calling out at her. Rickon was her little brother, she felt sad thinking that those were the

last days she would be spending with him. He was just three, he needed his family with

him. She didn’t want to upset him so Antea turned with a big smile and lift him in her arms.

“Hey little one” his little hands were gripping at her dress “I waited outside the hall, but you weren’t at sewing lesson” Rickon said “You promised me we would have played together” she gave him a kiss and put him on the ground “Let’s go then” Antea said then she turned to Theon, who was still behind her “Theon..”

“Let’s go, Antea” Rickon said pulling her by the hand, he was a jelous little pup.

“Yes, yes” she said, then she smiled at her older friend “See you later” Theon nodded with that strange smile never leaving his face “Aye.. see you later” she heard him answer while Rickon was still pulling her.


	6. Chapter 6

[CYEL](http://data.whicdn.com/images/84429459/large.jpg)

The castle of Winterfell was different for everyone, now that Lord Stark was leaving for the South. Cyel had observed Lady Catelyn those days, she was quiter and more malincholic. One afternoon she heard the Lady talk to Phelya, she said that she knew it was for the best, but it was still hard to let her children go. The girl couldn’t even think about what Lady Stark the mother was feeling, it was already painful what Cyel was feeling.

Cyel learned about Antea’s departure from Robb, or better from Robb’s shoutings. She and Theon were in the gardens eating a waffle together, and even if he was denying it, she could tell that Theon was sad for something. Then the future lord bursted out of the castle with Antea close to his heels. Cyel then understood what was the cause of Theon’s saddness.

She learned about Sansa and Arya’s departure from the girls themselves, Sansa was telling her how happy she was to go South and to learn how to be a good wife for prince Joffrey, even if Cyel thought that no one would ever be good for that prince, but hopefully time would make him a different person from who he was now. Or at least she hoped for Sansa. Then Arya stood up complaining about how she didn’t want to go, that she hated the South and that it was stupid to leave. And suddenly Cyel found herself trying to make peace between the two sisters that had different but very strong opinions.

And she’s learnt about Bran that day. She’d found him in the Godswood, sitting on the branch of a tree. Cyel took her shoes off and climbed up. She couldn’t believe he was able to climb even the walls of the castle, she was already scared on that tree.

“What are you doing up here?” He turned his head towards her, when he heard her and smiled.

“I’m looking at Winterfell” he answered. She looked at him for a moment; he usually went to the Broken Tower when he wanted to watch Winterfell, he stayed in the Goodswood  when he was overthinking about something.

“Can I stay with you?” Bran nodded and move to make space for her. Cyel carefully let go of the trunk and made one step on the branch. Bran’s laughter caused her to look up.

“You still look down” he said swinging his legs in the air without fear.

“Shut up” she answered finally managing to sit down, next to her friend. They sat in silence watching what was down them: the grass covered with a bit of summer’s snow, the pools of hot water, the mist which covered all of it giving an almost magical atmosphear, and the scary weirwood  tree, where lord Stark often prayed.

“What kind of trees are there in the South?” He asked suddenly making her turn to look at him.

“Any kind” she answered sweetly, he nodded thinking about what she said.

“Do you like better the North or the South?” Cyel studied him with her eyes, Bran had always been curious, but all those question about the South were new to her ears.

“They are both beautiful places” she managed to answer, she knew that there was more beyond those questions.

“Why do you ask?” Cyel said, but she had a feeling she already knew what he was about to say, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.

“I’m going South with Father” she looked at the ground. Even Bran was going away. Suddenly she felt so small behind Winterfell’s wall.

“I’m sure you will love the South” Cyel was sure she had whispered because she didn’t hear her own voice, but Bran nodded so he must have heard her. She understood why take the girls away, but why take Bran too?

“Don’t be sad” Bran said with his usual joyful voice “I’m happy to go. I’ll meet Ser Barristan Selmy, Father promised it” Ser Barristan was for sure Bran’s favourite knight ever and he knew all of their names and stories. Bran loved to listen to Old Nan telling them every sort of tales and since he was a little child he asked her the ones which talked about knights, even Cyel had learnt the majority of their names.

“I’m sure you are” she answered forcing a small smile “When are you leaving?” Cyel asked after a moment of silence.

“Four days” just four days… so soon? Couldn’t they wait?

“What it’s difficult is to have to say goodbye to everyone” Bran said and hearing the word goodbye hadn’t been easy to hear. How could they say goodbye?

She looked in front of her, the cool wind was moving her hair while she looked at one of the higher trees in the Godswood. That was the tree where Bran thaught her how to climb. It was high but Bran said that it was the easiest to begin with. Well maybe for him, she had been trying for days before climb just one foot from the ground. She was eight, he was four, they had so much fun.

The Godswood was her favourite place to play, with all those pools and mist. When it was her turn to chose where to play, that place was always her choice. And then of course Theon teased her because she never changed it.

Noise of steps echoed around them, and both the children looked down to see Theon Greyjoy walking towards the tree, but on his face there wasn’t his usual wide smile, it hadn’t been there for days now.

“Cyel” he called “Lord Stark wants to see you”

“Alright” she said trying not to rise too much her voice “I have to go” Cyel turned to Bran who had a huge smile on his face and he nodded vigorously before saying:

“Go, go. I’ll look for you later” Cyel smiled before moving to climb down.

The girl and Theon walked in a strange silence while going to find their lord, she felt his gaze on her every once in a while.

“What happened, little one?” He asked suddenly. _A bit too much,_ was the right answer. All her best friends were going away and looking at the dark walls of Winterfell she relized, maybe for the first time, how tall they were.

“You don’t smile anymore” she said still looking at the walls and she felt him shift next to her, but without answering “Is it for Antea?”

“You’re sad for Bran?” Cyel put a strand of hair behind her ear “We knew this would have happened one day” she wanted to be rational, she really did, but she didn’t believe in her own words.

Stopping when they saw lord Stark at the end of the corridor, Theon scoffed before saying:

“It’s easier for you” They all thought that. Even Antea had asked her how she prepared when she moved to the North, everyone thought that she was used to all those changes, but the truth was that she didn’t even remember what she exactly felt when she left Dorne. She was just four after all. All her happiest memories began in Winterfell, like everyone else’s.

When lord Eddard approached them, Theon  left without looking at her. Cyel knew how much he cared for Antea, he had real feelings for her, but she wasn’t saying that he was stupid to be sad. She just wanted to make him feel better. But how could she when she didn’t know how to make herself feel better?

“Hello Cyel” lord Eddard smiled down to her.

“My lord” Cyel said bowing with grace.

“Walk with me” her lord lead their way in the corridors of Winterfell. Lord Stark had always seemed a King to her, gentle, honorable and just. If the North had had Kings again, Eddard Stark would have been a great ruler. Even Cyel’s father said that lord Stark was very honorable and he deeply loved his country and his people, so much to not even propose himself as King when him and Robert Baratheon won against the Targaryens. Why was he leaving his country now, then?

“How’s your mother, Cyel?” Cyel looked at her hands, the fever was back, not strong as before, but Phelya was still unable to stand up from her bed.

“Not so well I’m afraid, my lord” she answered sadly. Her mother always watched outside her window, looking foward to the snow to fall on Winterfell. She loved the snow. Usually the two of them run outside and played with it; drawing on it with sticks, throwing snow balls to one another, building the castles that Cyel dreamt. Now Cyel prayed the Seven all nights to let her mother see the next snow.

“I’m sorry to hear that, dear” he said keeping walking nodding his head at the servants who passed by.

“You would want to know why I wanted to speak to you” Cyel looked up to meet the lord’s grey gaze and she nodded lightly “I’ve written to your father, asking if it was possible for you to follow me in the South” he explained “Since you’re Antea’s friend and my children love to spend time with you” her moving South? Of course she would have liked to go with Bran and the girls, but her mother… Phelya couldn’t move, she couldn’t face a journey so long and certainly Cyel would have never left her own mother alone behind “But of course I had to write to him to hear what he thinks about it” last time she moved, her father made an arrangement, so she thought she knew his opinion “He refused for you to come with me” Lord Stark looked at her like she knew what he was talking about and she did. Living in the South meant living with the Lannisters and Oberyn Martell hated the Lannisters.

“Of course he was sure, as I was, that you wouldn’t leave with your mother’s condition, but he agreed on let you spend some days with us, when you’ll visit Dorne next time” she smiled at his words, Lord Stark always thought about the well being of all his people.

“I even want to let you know that me leaving doesn’t change what we agreed when you came here” she hadn’t even thought about it “Even if Bran is coming with me” Bran leaving meant that they wouldn’t have seen each other for a long time. They could become two totally different people while apart. She didn’t want for Bran to be a stranger to her. Well Bran and the girls… Why had lord Stark mentioned only Bran? She looked at her lord, did he and her father know something that she didn’t? Cyel was about to speak when they heard steps coming their way.

Turning her head, she saw Queen Cersei Lannister, with her long golden hair, wearing a red dress with the embroidery of a golden lion, stopping in front of them. Immediatly lord Stark and Cyel bowed to her.

“My queen” said the lord.

“Your highness” followed Cyel.

“Lord Eddard” the woman answered before turning her attention on the girl “And Lady Cyel” Cyel looked up to meet the queen’s green stare “Sand, if I recall correctly” Cyel wasn’t sure she liked her tone, it was like she was making fun of her.

“Cyel is one of my wards” Lord Eddard said with a protective voice.

“It was so mercyful of you” the queen spoke again “Letting a mother with her bastard daughter living with you and taking care of them” Cyel blinked her eyes unsure she heard her right. She was talking about her mother like she was some unfourtnate soul hiding for shame.

“Lady Phelya Rosemberg is an old friend of mine, my queen. A very fine lady” Cyel was sure that even lord Stark didn’t like what that woman had said.

“I hadn’t have the pleasure to meet her”

“No your highness, you couldn’t” Cyel spoke before she could stop herself “My mother is very ill” the queen looked at her again, that mocking gaze never leaving her green eyes. It was hidden but it was there.

“I’m sorry to hear it” she could have said that, but her words were empty.

“My lord” maester Luwin’s voice echoed in the corridor making the three of them look at him. His chain made of rings made that usual sound that followed the man everywhere. They all knew when he was coming “A word, my lord”

Lord Eddard seemed not sure what to do, he looked the maester and then the queen before putting an hand on Cyel’s shoulder.

“I’ll be right back” the girl nodded.

“Don’t worry, lord Stark. I’ll keep her company” Cyel took a silent breath, trying to stay calm. That woman had just insulted Cyel’s mother and she still wanted to talk to her?

The queen studied her up and down, like a lioness with her pray. Cyel felt like she was just looking for something else to say. Her father always told her how the Lannisters were vicious, but Cyel didn’t understand why someone shuold have been so rude. Had Cyel offended her in some way?

“How old are you, little Cyel?” She asked at some point.

“Eleven” the girl anwered shortly, but trying to be polite. Her mother always told her to ignore bullies’ comments, but Cyel had to admitt it was harder than she thought.

“Only eleven?” The queen seemed surprised. Many were, Cyel had bleed for the first time very soon, it had been almost a year now, her chest was growing every day more and even her hips. Sansa told her she couldn’t wait for her to become a woman, it would have been easier to find a husband, being able to bear a child was very important for a lady “I thought you were older, for the way that you look” then the woman tone became almost vicious “For the way that you dress” Cyel looked down at what she was wearing, she didn’t know what was wrong with it, she had little pearls in her hair and a dress that her father sent to her as a present.

“It’s almost impossible not to notice you, nobody dresses like you here” Cyel blushed, were her dresses inappropriate? Her dresses were made in Dorne, they were all colorful and full of decoration. Cyel was just happy to wear the dreasses and jewels given to her from her family, was she offending someone? But lady Catelyn never reproved her for that.

“These are presents from my father” she said almost to herself than to the queen. The woman gave a small cold laugh.

“Your father is a smart men” at her words Cyel looked at her, what did she mean by that?

“He certanly knows how you could catch the eldest Stark’s attention” she took a breath drammatically “It’s normal for a farther to want the best for his child” a Lannister should not even talk about Martells, after what happened to Cyel’s aunt Elia.

“It’s not my place to decide, but a lady has to act the best for her country and her future husband’s, and I’m sure my lords will take the right decision for their sons and for myself” she answered, probably the queen didn’t think she would have said something, indeed she looked at her with surprised eyes. Cyel felt like she had run out of her breath, but she menaged to mantain a straight face.

“You talk properly” the queen spoke again, Cyel was getting tired of her company, she was looking foward to Lord Eddard to come back “Maybe you are whorty of a future lord leige, but still you are a Sand” that was all she wanted, making clear that she was superior over a bastard girl. She must had be really bored if she had fun acting like that.

“It’s a shame though” she kept saying “that a beautiful young lady like yourself won’t probably achieve much” Cyel felt her eyes burn, that woman had insulted her, her mother, her father and now she was telling that some Starks were more important than others?

“I’m sure your highness had enough time to meet all the Stark boys” Cyel said with a voice stronger than before “I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that I’ll be lucky to marry anyone of them. They had always taken good care of me and they are kinder and more polite than any other person I’ve ever met in my life” Cersei glared down at her and Cyel held her gaze trying not to show fear, she wouldn’t bend to fear.

She was sure the queen wanted to say something but Lord Stark interrupted her, putting a protective arm around Cyel who was still glaring at the woman.

“She is lovely, lord Eddard” her fake smile didn’t seem to enchant lord Stark. Cyel didn’t think he had heard their conversation, Cersei seemed smart enough not to insult her host’s children in front of him, but still he looked at the woman with a serious expression. It seemed emotionless for who didn’t know Eddard Stark.

“Is this little snake coming with us?” The queen asked.

“No, she’ll be staying here with my wife” he answered and bowing his had he added “Excuse us, my queen. It’s time for us to go” Cyel nodded and bowing her head lightly she followed her lord. Walking she turned her head to see the queen’s blond hair disappearing behind a corner. When Cyel had seen her for the first time, she thought that Cersei Lannister was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen, but it was almost unbelieveble how rude she could be.

Sansa had a different opinion, she thought that the queen was nice, like all the queens in the stories. Indeed Cersei had always been polite to Sansa.

Cyel decided to not tell her friend about her and the queen’s little chat. _Maybe she doesn’t like bastards._ Cyel thought helping Sansa packing her things. She was sure that the woman hadn’t even looked at Jon Snow’s direction, and he was Lord Stark’s son. People like Cersei Lannister were the kind of people that her father had been afraid Cyel would have met away from Dorne. Not everyone was the Starks.

“Cyel!” Bran brusted in Sansa’s chamber with his direwolf following behind. Lady, Sansa’s direwolf, looked up happily when her brother entered the room.

“Bran, you should knock” Sansa said shooking her head, she had always told him that but he never listened. The boy rolled his eyes before running to Cyel.

“Have you talk with Father?” Bran asked excited, his eyes shining like they always did. Cyel nodded putting away another Sansa’s dress.

“Well?” He said again “Are you coming South with us?” the girl bit her lip, before looking at her friend, who seemed eager to hear her answer.

“No, Bran” she said shooking her head, saddly “I’m staying here with my mother and the lady” Bran smile fall at her words and his direwolf brushed his nose on the boy’s leg. Even Sansa had a surprised expression on her face.

“I thought that Father wanted to tell you you could come with us” he said “But maybe when Phelya will feel better, you can come” Bran always tryed to find the good side of everything, he had always done it, but this time he wasn’t smiling doing so.

“I don’t know about that” Cyel said trying not to let them see how sad she was. They had to tell goodbye to everything and she didn’t want to make it worst for them, spending the last days she had with them complining “But your father promised I can come in King’s Landing for a few days when I’ll visit Dorne”

“Well that’s a good news, isn’t it?” Sansa said stepping closer, trying to light up the mood, even if Cyel could tell she was sad. When Sansa was happy you could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes just with a glance.

“It’s alright, I guess” Bran said nodding his head, then he looked at Cyel and gave her a quick little smile, but his eyes weren’t happy “I’ll see you later” he said before leaving the chamber with his direwolf. Cyel wanted to call for him, but no words came out from her mouth, and she let out a loud breath when Bran was out of sight.

“Do you really can’t come?” Sansa asked with hope in her voice, packing her things again. Cyel petted Lady’s fur.

“That’s what my father and lord Eddard want” at her words Sansa’s eyes glow and she gasped happily.

“Maybe it’s for the best” she exclaimed coming closer to Cyel and taking her hands in hers. Cyel looked at her surprised, what did she mean?

“Cyel, think about it” she was almost jumping with joy “You’ll stay here alone with Robb, maybe they want for the two of you to get closer” could it be it? Did they really want this for the two of them? “They want for you to fell in love” Sansa exclimed. Cyel felt her heart beat quiclky. She and Robb? Could they really fell in love? Robb was sure handsome and gentle, but she had never thought they would fall in love for each other.

“Cyel, this is perfect” Sansa smile grew wider “I’ll be queen and you the lady of the Winterfell and we’ll be both married to brave and gentle men,  what can we ask for more?” Sansa was actually right, what could she ask for more? Then why her smile wasn’t honest?

“I’m sure Father wishes the best for you too” Lord Stark’s words echoed in her head… _even if Bran is coming with me…_

If her father and her lords wanted for her to marry Robb, then why mentioning Bran?

Three days had passed in a blink of an eye. Fast, so fast, too fast. And that day she should have said goodbye to all her friends. Not all of them, because Jon would have left for the Wall in a week, but still everything would have changed. She couldn’t think about how silent Winterfell would have been without all the Stark children together.

Cyel woke up early, earlier than usual, she hadn’t sleep much that night. She went in the kitchen to take two cups of milk and honey. The last secret breakfast, no more milk and honey with Antea in the morning. She took a long breath and faked a smile before entering her friend’s room. Of course she wasn’t asleep, she was very awake and throwing the last things in her baggage. Cyel looked at Antea’s chamber, there was nothing anymore, just laggages around the room, the black direwolf’s fur under her bed and little Rickon sleeping under Antea’s sheets, but looking closer, Cyel realized that under the bed was Shaggydog and not Shadow, she tryed to spot her, but she didn’t managed.

“You could have told me Rickon was here” Antea turned when she heard Cyel’s voice “I could have brought something for him too” the girl grunted throwing her last dress inside the box.

“He won’t wake, not for other few hours” Antea said brushing her brother’s hair “He cried till late night, he didn’t want to leave the room” Cyel felt for Rickon, he was just three and everything was changing too fast for him, it was almost unfair.

“I don’t want to go” Cyel sit next to her friend, listening her words “I mean… All my life is here. I don’t even know how is the South!” She complained “Cassie just told us it’s really hot, and I love the cool morning wind” then she took a breath keeping looking at Rickon “He is so young, how can I leave him?” Rickon spent lot of time with Antea, they played together and sometimes ate alone together, she even talked him to sleep when Lady Catelyn was busy. Between all the Starks, Sansa was the most excited to leave, she could barely wait, Arya didn’t get why, but Cyel thought it was better this way, at least one of them was happy.

When Rickon woke up, a couples of hours later, he clanged to Antea, not wanting to let go, so the lady decided to pick him up to take a walk.

That morning all the men had left early for hunting, even Robb had gone and Antea thought it was good for him, but Cyel was sure she wasn’t being totally honest. Of couse she wanted to spend some time with her twin brother before go away. They were walking just outside the main entrance, when Septa Mordane called Antea’s name.

“Gods, what does she want now?!” She muttered under her breath, before walking closer to the woman. Cyel had never seen her friend so nervous.

“Cyel!” Bran’s voice made her heart ache, he was leaving too that day. Already? He run to her and she couldn’t help but let a weak smile growing on her face looking at him “Hi!”

“Hello, Bran” she answered.

“I had been looking for you when we broke our fast, but you didn’t show up” he explained looking up at her with his curious eyes.

“I’m sorry, Bran” Cyel answered “I was helping Antea with her packing” it was half a lie, the truth was that she didn’t feel like eating that morning, not with Bran anyway. She wasn’t happy about it, but she had spent the last few days away from her friend. She wanted to play with him and talk to him, but the thought that he would be leaving in a few days stopped her from doing it.

“It’s alright” Bran said shifting from foot to foot “Its just… Today I’m leaving for the South and I tried to say goodbye to everyone, but I almost cryed” she smiled at how sweet he was, he had always been. Kind and sweet “And I’m sure I’m going to cry when I’ll say it to you” he look down hiding his face and she had to control herself to stop her eyes from watering “But I thought that maybe if we climb together I won’t need to say it out loud” go climbing together? She climbed just to play with him, it was something they did, just the two of them. Was that really the last time they would have climbed together? Her heart beated fast. So many changes, too many changes. She wasn’t ready, she suddenly felt so even smaller behind Winterfell’s walls.

“I’m sorry, Bran. I… I really can’t right now” she said feeling every breath heavier and heavier. Bran seemed to think about something, then he smiled.

“We’ll leave in the afternoon” he exclaimed “We have planty of time! I’ll look for you later and we’ll climb the high tree again” Cyel looked at him jumping up and down before turning to run away.

“Where are you going?” She called out to him, who turned unable to stay still.

“Climbing the Broken Tower” he shouted back “I’m doing it now, since you are afraid of climbing it” she couldn’t help but smile when she heard his laughter echoed in the yard.

“You are so silly sometimes” Antea’s voice made her turn. The lady was alone now and she had her arms crossed over her chest and she was shooking her head with a little smirk.

“What are you talking about?” Cyel asked trying to not look her friend in her eyes.

“I’ve talked to him these days” Antea said stepping closer to her “He noticed how strangely you behave” Cyel looked down, she had accepted Arya and Sansa leaving, she accepted even Antea’s, but Bran was her special friend, the one she played with more, the one who brought her sweets when she was sad, the one who always made her smile. It was difficult to let go.

“Antea, I don’t want to go” she said with honesty. Antea looked at her with her sweetest gaze and she linked her arm with Cyel’s.

“Alright, take me company” she said “You could always change your mind” at her words Cyel let go a sad laugh… Maybe she was right, maybe she would have found the e courage to say goodbye.

The two girls were sitting on Antea’s bed, the lady couldn’t wait for Robb to come back from hunting. She was eager to spend some time with him.

“Leaving him will be the hardest” Antea said laying back on the mattress, looking at de ceiling “It has always been us, I don’t know who I’d be away from him” the two twins were so close that being apart was like living without a limb, they said. Everyone said that twins shared a special bond, special and deep. And they were sure right, looking at the Stark twins “And now that even Jon is going away he will need you and Theon more than ever”.

Thinking about it Robb and Rickon had been the most unfortunate, their brothers would had still live all together, but they… They would have been alone.

“And Theon” Antea then said “he is acting so… strange, I don’t see him smiling anymore” Cyel tried to mantain a straight face, she knew Theon didn’t want for Antea to know how he really felt and Cyel didn’t want to betray his trust. Not that Theon had ever confessed anything out loud, but he knew Cyel knew.

“You don’t need to worry, my friend” Cyel said with soft voice “I’m sure you’ll be fine in the South. And if it makes you feel better I’ll play and talk Rickon to sleep at night, if the lady can’t” Antea looked at her while laying down “And I promise I’ll look after Robb and Theon” Antea smiled before sitting again.

“You are a real friend” Cyel smiled back “But will you be alright?” She had to, thare wasn’t much of a choice. They were growing up, it wans’t easy, but that was the adults’ world.

 “I mean this will affect your life too” she wasn’t the one moving away. Of course she was sad that most of her friend were going away, but her life would have been the same, maybe a bit lonely.

“I think I’ll be alright” Cyel answered after taking a breath. Antea looked at her again with a smirk on her face, shooking her head.

“You are so silly, sometimes” but their quite laughter stopped when a servant brusted in the room.

“My lady, you have to come quickly” her face was red and her breath was haevy, she must had run all the way there. On her face a panicked expression, that scared Cyel in an instant.

“What happened, Heren?” Antea asked standing up, worried as much as Cyel.

“Little Brandon, my lady” She said with tears in her eyes “He fell” Cyel heart stopped suddenly and in a moment she was running to Bran’s chamber with Antea close behind. She just wanted to know if he was alright. _He must be,_ she thought. Cyel had never run so fast, it was like she wasn’t breathing. How did had happened? He had never fall before. He never fell.

When they arrived the door was open, maester Luwin was checking up on Bran while Lady Catelyn cried and keep calling her son’s name. Over and over she called, but he didn’t answered, why wasn’t he answering? Antea run into the room and she dropped to her knees to hug her mother. Cyel made a step in the room and she saw Bran’s face. He was still and his eyes were open looking ahead of him, just they weren’t looking anything, there wasn’t life in them. She step out of the room gasping with her hand on her mouth, but it was only when she felt two arms around her, that she realized she was crying.

Cyel didn’t know for how long the maester had been in that chamber, to her the time had stopped. She was sitting outside, with Jon Snow’s arm still around her and she couldn’t take Bran’s eyes out of her head. They were so empty, so different from his joyful and curious eyes that she had just seen a few hours before, when he asked her to climb with him.

“It was my fault” she said, her voice was raw for all the crying. She felt Jon’s eyes on her.

“Cyel..” But she spoke again, not letting him finishing, because she knew what he wanted to say, but he was wrong.

“He asked for me to go with him” another tear fell down on her cheek “But I had been so selfish to say no” stupid, she had been so stupid and selfish “Because I knew it would have been the last time and I didn’t want for it to be the last, because I didn’t want for him to go away” she hoped he would have stayed, she wanted for Bran to stay, but not like this, she didn’t even knew if he was still alive.

“All of this is not your fault” Jon said, but she didn’t look at him. He didn’t know, he couldn’t know, because he wasn’t there. He didn’t knew what had happened.”

“Yes it is!” She exclaimed putting her head on her hands “I shoul have been there, by his side. I could have done something, I could have…” But she stopped when Jon hugged her again. He hold he close to him, kissing her head.

“You can’t do this to yourself” his voice was broke and she felt something wet, falling on her cheek. Jon was crying “He must have slipped, it could have happened anytime” Cyel immediatelly clanged to him. Bran was his brother, he must be suffering so much.

“how did that happen?” she muttered on Jon’s arm who was still holding her. She didn’t know for how long they stayed like this, crying together and trying to confort each other, but when maester Luwin exited the chamber they both stood up.

“How is he?” Jon asked immediately.

“Is he going to be alright?” Cyel said with shaking voice. She was praying to all the gods she knew, but the maester face allarmed her even more.

“I don’t know” he said with sad eyes.

“What do you mean?” She was greatful that Jon had managed to speak, because she felt like she had lost her voice.

“He is breathing, but it’s like he is asleep” Cyel closed her eyes trying to forget what she had seen in that chamber, but that imagine came back stronger and clearer everytime.

“Will he wake up?” She had speak but she wasn’t even sure. Everything  felt like a dream. A nightmare.

“I hope, Cyel” he said but he stopped to take a breath. That man had raised all the Stark children, he was destroyed like the rest of them “But I’m afraid that if he ever will, he won’t be able to walk again. His back it’s broken”. For the second time that day the world had stopped around Cyel. That couldn’t be happening, it had to be a nightmare, it must have been.

“He wants to be a knight” she said looking at the man “He loves to climb and run, there must be something you can do” he studied at the Cyttadel, how was it possible that there was nothing that could help him?

Maester Luwin shook his head.

“I’m so sorry” more tears fell on her cheeks.

“But… He never falls”


	7. Chapter 7

[ANTEA](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a6/9b/4a/a69b4adf573f94143f90a2d74f5b4812--robin-hood-bbc-robin-hoods.jpg)

It had been five days since it happened. Five days since her sweet little brother fell from that tower. Five days since Antea started to take care of her mother, who didn’t want to leave Bran’s side. Everyone was sad in the castle and even if it was full of people, Wnterfell seemed so quite. Antea had started to cry the moment her father first saw Bran lieing in bed, before that she had just held her mother thight. Catelyn’s screaming still echoed in Antea’s ears and at night she had trouble sleeping. She had never seen her mother so desperate and it broke her heart seening her like that, she was so different from the woman Antea had grow up with. Not that Antea blamed her, everyone of them was different, quiter, sadder. Everyone wondering why it had to happen.

Because of what had happened to Bran, the King let Ned stay some more days in the North. Antea still couldn’t believe her father wanted to leave after what had happened, now more than ever they should have stayed together.

Antea was in the kitchen to take some honey and water to feed Bran, it was the only thing they could make him eat to not let him starve. Her mother fed him, she didn’t want anyone else to do it, but she hadn’t come out from that chamber not even to eat, so Antea brought her some food everytime she went to see Bran.

“Antea” she turned from the plate she was preparing to see Theon Greyjoy standing on the entrance of the kitchen.

“Good morning, Theon” she forced a little smile, before turning to look back at the plate. He step closer till he was next to her. Antea looked at him with the corner of her eyes, they hadn’t talked for days now. She hadn’t talked much in the past days, there wasn’t anything that could have had light up her mood.

“How are you feeling?” At his question she looked up at him, he was shooking his head, with his eyes closed.

“You didn’t ask a stupid question” she spoke softly pouring some milk in a glass for her mother “I have been better” she took an apple and she put it in his hand. He always eat at least an apple to break his fast. He smiled at her muttering a thank you. She took the plate in her hands before heading out.

“Antea, wait” when she turned she saw Theon walking towards her “Let me take you company” he said “I can hold the plate for you” she looked at the plate in her hands, not that it was heavy but she really didn’t want to stay alone, so she nodded watching her friend taking what she was holding.

They walked in silence followed by Shadow, who in the past few days shown up more to take Antea company. She was growing so fast, like her brothers and sisters, like Bran’s direwolf who still hadn’t a name. She turned her face away from Theon when she felt her eyes watering. Nobody was sure Bran would ever wake up and her body shook at that thought. What if he wouldn’t wake up? Her little brother was just seven.

“Do you think he’ll wake up?” She asked suddenly, she didn’t even know why she asked, but she didn’t want silence. Winterfell had never been silet, it was joyful, full of love and laughters. That wasn’t her home.

“Yes, I do” she knew he would have said that, everyone said that, even if Antea was sure not all of them thought that, they just said it not to make things worst for the Starks, but sometimes Antea wishes for them to be honest and tell what was really on their mind.

“Antea” Theon took her arm gently, making her stop “He made it so far. He could have died, but he didn’t. He’ll wake” she looked in his eyes, she studied them, searching for any sort of lie, but there wasn’t. They were honest and they were shining, but diffrently than usual.

“Good day, my lady” at the new voice, Antea and Theon step away from each other. Turning her gaze, she saw lord Tyrion a few step away from them.

“Lord Tyrion” she said bowing her head followed by Theon. Shadow turned too and started to study the man with her golden eyes.

“I just wanted to say how sorry I am for little Brandon” he spoke stepping closer to Antea, but Shadow was suddenly between the two. The man looked at the direwolf with surprise, maybe because it was the first time he saw Shadow, Antea thought.

“My prayers are for him” lord Tyrion looked at Antea again. For the girl lord Tyrion didn’t seem a man who prayed much, but she nodded any less. He was being kind to her, the least she could do was smiling gently at him.

“Thank you, my lord. I appreciate it” she answered. Shadow grouled when the little lord made another step. Antea looked at her direwolf, Shadow was always so quite, she had never been aggressive, but probably she was nervous because of what Antea was living those days.

“Shadow stop” she said patting her pup on the head, but Shadow kept looking at lord Tyrion.

“No need, no need” he said waving his hand nervously “I must go to break my fast. Good day, my lady” she bowed her head watching lord Tyrion walking between her and Theon, with Shadow following him with her studing eyes.

“It seems that Shadow doesn’t like the little Lannister” Theon said bitterly. Antea could tell he didn’t like lord Tyrion too. She noticed how Theon glanced at the man, who didn’t even speak a world to him, and that she didn’t like, but didn’t know what to think about lord Tyrion. He had a sharp tongue for sure, but he had always been nice to her and her family. She shook her head, honestly she didn’t want to think about Lord Tyrion, her mind was focused on her family.

Theon walked Antea to Bran’s chamber, when they stopped they heard Bran’s direwolf howling outside the window. He was always howling, day and night, like he was saying his prays for Bran, sometimes even the other direwolves sang with him. Bran’s direwolf couldn’t stay in the chamber, none of them could, Lady Catelyn didn’t want it.

“Theon” she said looking up from Shadow to her friend “Can you please take Shadow back in to my chamber?”

“Of course” he said, but when they look down, Shadow wasn’t there anymore.

“Where is she?” He asked to himself looking around, Antea took a breath thinking about her direwolf.

“She is here, don’t worry” then she took the plate fron Theon’s hand “Thank you, for walking with me, I really didn’t want to be alone” he smiled bowing his head.

“Anytime, my lady” she smiled at him, watching him walk away, probably to find Robb.

Antea knocked on the door, but no answer was given. She decided to enter the chamber anyway, she was sure her mother wasn’t asleep.

The chamber was dark, the sun wasn’t shining outside of Winterfell. Her mother was sitting next to the bed, her hair messy, her eyes tired and red, for the many tears she had cryed. She was alone and watching Bran. Antea shivered looking at her always happy brother. He was pale and he was getting thiner and thiner everyday, for the lack of eating. His eyes were open, looking at the ceiling in front of him without life in them, they could tell he was still alive, just because his chest rose for his breathing. Antea could see the shape of his legs even from the door. They were broken and you could tell just looking at them. Maester Luwin said that even if he would wake he wouldn’t be able to walk again. Antea couldn’t believe it when she heard those words leaving the maester’s mouth. If he couldn’t walk, what would have happened to her brother? Robb once told her that he had heard Lanninsters’s guard talking about how it would have been mercyful to let Bran die. He was so furious, so was she, but sometimes she wondered what Bran really wanted if he knew what had happened to his legs.

 

“I brought you some food, mother” Antea said stepping foward in the room.

“Did you brought water and honey?” Her mother did’t even looked at her, she was used to it now. Antea was the one spending more time with her mother now, she didn’t want to leave her alone. Now she understands even more why Cyel hadn’t gone to Dorne since Phelya got ill.

“Of course” Antea answered putting down the plate next to the bed and then sitting down watching her mother closely “You should eat something” lady Catelyn had taken in her hands the honey, mixing it with a spoon, preparing it for Bran.

“Later” she muttered focused on what she was doing.

“You always say that” Antea said timidly getting closer to her mother “I can fead him. I know how to do it, I’ve watched you” but when she reached for the honey, her mother took it away from her grip.

“No, I’ll do it” she whispered “Please, let me do it” Antea’s eyes watered again hearing her mother’s crack voice. The girl closed her eyes to fight the tears that wanted to come out, she couldn’t cry, her mother would have felt worst.

“Alright” she said after a moment of silence “Just… Just please eat something, later” her mother looked at her from the corner of her eyes and then she nodded silently.

Antea stayed with her mother, watching her fead Bran and whispered to him. She felt relived when her mother started to eat, she didn’t eat all of what she had brought, but Antea felt better none the less.

Suddenly she heard a knock, but her mother didn’t say anything, so Antea spoke:

“Come in” when the door opened, her father entered the room. Antea noticed how much pain was in his eyes looking at his child and his wife.

“Antea, can you leave us alone, please?” Her father asked kindly. Antea looked at her mother, before standing up. Ned put his arm around her giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“Thank you for how much you are doing” he said looking in her eyes “I need to speak to you, but it can wait. I’ll look for you later” Antea frowned at his words, she really couldn’t immagine what her father wanted to tell her “Now go, Rickon was looking for you”

“Yes father” she said before exiting the chamber. She closed the door behind her wanting to give her parents a moment alone. Antea looked down when she felt a warm fur nuzzling on her leg.

“Here you are” she said petting Shadow’s head “Come on, let’s go find Rickon”

Antea spent the morning with Arya and Rickon, both clinged tight at her side and not far form them their direwolves were doing the same thing. Rickon knew that something bad had happened, but he didn’t undertand completly. Arya on the other hand was worried and angry and when she felt like that she always needed an hug.

“Is mother going to be alright?” Arya muttered against Antea’s shoulder.

“Mother is sick like Bran?” Rickon exclaimed urgently. Antea moved his hair from his forehead.

“No, little one” she said before turning to Arya “She will be alright, she is just waiting for Bran to wake up” Arya nodded against Antea, it was impossible to think how sad the all were.

“Where’s Cyel?” Rickon asked. Cyel stayed more in her chamber lately and when she spent time with the Starks she tryed to be the same Cyel they all know, but something has changed in her. Jon told Antea that Cyel felt responsable for what had happened to Bran. The Stark girl tryed to talked to her, but Cyel didn’t seem to believe her words. How could it be her fault? It was an accident, no one blamed her.

“I think she is with her mother” Antea said looking at the direwolves all close to each other.

“Or maybe with Bran” Arya could have been right, Cyel always pay a visit to Bran. Everyday, same hour. Not more she didn’t want to bother lady Catelyn, even if Antea didn’t think her mother would have totally noticed.

Noise of steps on the grass made them look up and see their father walking towards them. His fur cloack thight around his neck to protect him from the cool summer wind.

“Father!” Rickon exclaimed running to Ned, the men took his child in his arms with a small laugh. Antea and Arya still clenged to each other watched their father talking with is youngest child, before put him down and move towards them.

“Children can I have a moment with your sister?” Arya puffed at their father’s question.

“Can’t you sit here with us and tell her?” She asked pleaded her father “And then maybe you can tell us a story”

“Yes!” Rickon exclaimed “Let’s call Sansa, she loves your stories”  Arya let Antea go to lay on the ground.

“She won’t come” she said bitterly “She is with princess Myrcella, she doesn’t have time for us” she spoke trying to do her best impression of Sansa.

“Arya” Ned worned her with a calm voice.

“Sorry” she muttered rolling her eyes.

“Come with me, Antea” her father said offering his hand to his daughter, who took it to get up from the ground. She waved her hand to her brothers saying that she would have look for them later and then she followed Ned in the Godswood.

Her father prayed everyday in the Godswood, her mother didn’t like that place very much, but maybe because she prayed the Seven Gods and not the Old Gods. Antea and her brothers learn to pray for both their parent’s religions, Ned and Catelyn said that it was up to them to decide which to follow when they would have been older.

They set by the Weirwood tree and they both looked at the water of the hot pool in front of them.

“I’m very proud of you” she turned to look at her father when he spoke, a small smile appeared on her face. She wanted for her father to be proud of her, even if she didn’t know about what.

“You are becoming a strong woman, like your mother and I had always hoped” he said still looking ahead of him “Thinking about your future wasn’t the only reason why I chose to take you to the South with me” she felt her body become rigid, when she remembered that she was about to leave. Everything was ready, they were just waiting for the King’s order to leave Winterfell. But if it wasn’t to find an husband, then why his father wanted her in the South?

“You may not notice that but all your brothers look up to you, they listen to you” her father added “I wanted for you to keep an eye on Sansa and Arya, became their role model since their mother would be away” Antea blushed, she was so glad to hear those words, she had always wanted to be a good lady, a good Stark. And hearing her father speak those words, brought to her so much joy. She really needed them in those dark days.

“But for now I want you to stay here” Antea looked at her father shocked.

“What?” She asked unsure she had heard him correctly.

“I need you to stay here for the moment” he said looking at her “Your mother is..” His words died in his throat thinking about how desperate his wife was “Well, you saw her. Robb will need help to learn how to be a good lord, but he is stubborn, but he listens to you. He always had” she listened at her father closely “And Rickon will need you, if his mother is not there” Antea had been the one who took care of Rickon those days, played with him, ate with him and took him to sleep.

“So I can stay” she muttered, she couldn’t denying that she was happy to know she was would be staying at home. But a part of her felt guilty to feel like this, it wouldn’t have happened if Bran hadn’t fallen.

“Just untill Bran will wake” her father said “Then you’ll come South” Antea’s joy started to vanished when her father spoke thise words, but she nodded knowing already what her parents wanted for her.

“Thank you, dad” she said trowing her arms around her father and hugging him closely “I promise I’ll take care of everything” he laughed in her ear holding her close.

That had been a bitter sweet conversation even because her father told her that the next day he would have left for King’s Landing. Antea hoped that they could have stayed more. She even thought it would have been esasier to watch them leaving, but she was so wrong. And the next day she wouldn’t have said goodbye just to her little sisters, but even to Jon Snow, who would have left for the Wall with her uncle Benjen.

Robb was very sad, but knowing that she would stay lighted up his mood a bit, and the same was for Theon who walked around with his usual smile, helping his lord to set the last things.

In the morning she took Rickon to break his fast and she helped the girls with their last packages, before she went up to Bran’s chamber to take the usual plate she brought every morning. But that day something was different, the door was open and looking inside she saw Jon kneeled next to Bran, taking his smaller hands in his bigger one.

“Bran, don’t die” she heard him plead “We are here all waiting for you. Me, Robb, the girls and Cyel…” Antea slided down resting her back against the wall next to the door, with her eyes closed, the pain in her brother’s voice made a tear roll down Antea’s cheek. She wip it away when she heard Jon move.

“I have to go” he said “I’m going north with uncle Benjen today, before the snow falls again” Antea heard him took a frustated breath. He was crying. She wanted to enter when she heard her mother say:

“I wanted him to stay here with me. He was my special boy” Bran had always been special to everyone in Winterfell. He was playful, kind and sweet, he was impossible not to love “I prayed seven times to the seven faces of god that Ned would change his mind. Sometimes prays are anwered” her mother said bitterly. Antea let out a breath she didn’t know she was taking. Even her mother was blaming herself.

“It wasn’t your fault” Jon spoke kindly like always, but nervous nonetheless. Jon had never gone to pay a visit to Bran in those days. Robb thought it was because of their mother and Antea thought he was right. Lady Catelyn had never been fond of Jon Snow.

“I need no of  your absolution, bastard” her mother voice was full of poison and Antea had to fight her feet to move in the chamber. Jon was just trying to confort her.

Antea heard her brother’s step coming closer to the door when her mother spoke again:

“Jon” Antea blinked, her mother had never called Jon by his name.

“Yes?” She heard him answering.

“It should have been you” Antea was shocked by her mother tone. So calm, like she had stated a matter of fact. Her body was paralyzed by anger. Why? Why being so nasty with a person so kind like Jon? No wonder he wanted to leave.

She looked up when she heard Jon exiting the room. Their eyes met, both full of tears, but Jon’s weren’t angry… Not as much as Antea’s anyway. She stood up and without a world she pull her brother in a thight hug. Antea didn’t knew how long they held each other, but at some point Jon let her go and he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“I have to go” he said wiping away the last tears he cried for Bran “I’ll see you later” she nodded before looking at him disappearing behind a corner. Anger took over her once again before storming in the chamber. This time her mother looked up at the door.

“I know you are suffering” Antea said “But can’t you feel just a bit of compassion?! Jon is leaving, he just wanted to say goodbye” her mother’s eyes were full of poison at the mention af Jon’s name.

“This is not his place” she answered bitterly.

“He is Bran’s brother!” Antea argued “It is his right to say goodbye”

“His right..” her mother said almost mocking then she turn to look at Bran again. Antea observed her mother, she was always so caring, so kind. The people loved her, her family loved her. She was always there to help whoever needed an hand, especially her family. Why not Jon?

“Why do you hate him so? What has he ever done to you?” Antea muttered, she wanted to understand, she never could.

“You always defend him” her mother spoke, her voice stronger than the days before. Antea frowned at her words.

“He is my brother” she stated, of course she defended him. Her mother shook her head, looking at the ceiling.

“He is not, but you always forget it, you all always forget it” she spat “But you will understand and you will agree with me when you will have children of your own” something was sure to Antea, she would have never blame a child for his father’s mistakes.

“No, I won’t” Antea said bitterly “I will never become like you” their eyes met for a moment, before Antea stormed out of the chamber.

She had never been angrier at her mother, she said too many horrible things to her brother. Yes, because Jon was her brother, it didn’t metter if he was a Snow.

_Oh gods,_ she thought, Jon was leaving soon. Antea started to run as fast as she could to find Jon.

She found him in the yard, with Robb and Cyel, he was hugging his brother when Antea got closer.

“When do you think we’ll see each other again?” She heard Jon muttered in his brother fur. Robb laughed.

“Soon enough” Robb answered, clapping Jon’s shoulder before break the hug. Then Jon turned to Cyel and they hugged too.

“Don’t forget to write, alright?” Cyel said sweetly. Jon nodded blushing, then he smiled at the girl.

“Take care of my brothers, we are all lost without you” Cyel laughed lightly at his words. When Jon let go, he turned to Antea, realizing she was there.

“I was coming to look for you” he said when she got closer.

“Are you really going away?” Antea asked taking her brother hand, it felt strange to let him go.

“You won’t even noticed” he said with a smile “I was never a big talker” Antea shook her head hugging her brother close again. For a moment Antea felt like she hadn’t spent enough time with Jon. Tears rolled down her cheeks when they broke the hug.

“Don’t get cold, brother” she said with a laugh “I won’t be there to remind you” Jon laughed with her giving her another kiss on the forehead.

“Stay safe” he said.

“You too” then they heard barking and they saw Shadow and Grey Wind running to Ghost and start to nuzzling each other’s heads. It was their way to say goodbye, apparently. The three brothers looked at their direwolves, that sure were feeling their same saddness.

Say goodbye to Jon hadn’t been easy, but having now to say goodbye to her father was even worst. Of course, she would have see him again very soon.. or at least she hoped, that would have meant her little brother had waken up.

They were all out in the yard, well everyone but Antea’s mother, they bowed their heads at the king and the queen, they had to do the same at price Joffery who looked at them with his usual superior smirk. Antea had to take Robb by the hand to calm him. Then Myrcella thanked them for their hospitality and wished to see them soon. Little Tommen just waved his hand timidly at them, before running to his mother. Jaime Lannister bowed his head, but of course not greatful, not that Antea expected it from the Kingslayer. When it was her father’s turn she had to held her tears. He first went to Robb, entrusting him the North and the family.

“Of course, father” he said “I’ll do my best”

“I know you will” her father answered with proud eyes. Robb was acting like a man grown since Bran fall, he would have been a good lord.

Then her father step in front of her. She bowed at him before hugging him. Ned laughed in her ear.

“I’ll see you soon, my sweet” he said, she nodded against his fur. Gods she would have missed her father’s hugs.

“Goodbye father” Antea said breaking the hug, he smiled at her, before hugging Rickon who was rubbing his eyes full of tears. Then her father moved to Theon, who bowed his head respectfully, and then to Cyel, who did the same.

“Take care of my children for me” he said to both of them.

Then Arya came and hugged Robb and Antea together. It was so clear she didn’t want to cry, but her red eyes were betraying her.

“When I’ll see you again?” She asked.

“Very soon, sweet sister” Robb said patting her messy hair.

“Don’t get in trouble untill I come in King’s Landing” Antea said kissing her sister who nodded, before running to Cyel and Theon. Sansa was there waiting to say her goodbyes to her brother, she was hugging Cyel smiling happly. Go in the South was like a dream coming true for her. Then she moved gracefully to her older brothers and bowed her head to them, but when she raise they all hug.

“Stay safe, Sansa” Robb said, eyeing the prince. He still couldn’t believe that she would have to marry him.

“I will be” she answered with eyes full of joy “Take care of Rickon and Bran” she said to Antea patting Rickon on his head affectionatly “And tell them lots of stories, they love them” Antea smiled at her sister, she would have be a good queen one day, the prince was lucky to marry her, Antea hoped he knew.

“Of course” she said “I’ll see you soon” Sansa smiled once again before joyning their father at the carrigeis.

Antea stood there with her brothers and her friends waving at  the part of their family leaving Winterfell. They looked at them since it was possible, and once they were disappeared from view, Antea let out a sad breath. For a moment she felt lonely, without all her family together. It wasn’t a ferewell but it certanly felt like it.


	8. Chapter 8

[CASSIE](http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/18600000/Kahlan-Amnell-kahlan-amnell-18627611-500-281.jpg)

Cassie had just opened her eyes that morning, the girls who shared the room with her were already gone. It mustn’t had been late or Rose would have waken her up. Cassie rose from bed rubbing her eyes tiredly, she had had a shift till late night before going to bed. She took her black dress at the end of her bed. The Keepers of Light dressed in black, but all of them had a different dress. They made them by themself to ease each Keeper’s needs. Cassie was very proud of her dress, long sleaves, her chest and waist covered in black lather and a long skirt opened at the side of her legs. It was very comfy especially because she could move freely and fighting easly with her knives. The Keepers knew how to fight with every kind of weapon, but when they were skilled enough they could chose their own weapon. Cassie chose the daggers, not only because she had her own, but because she was really good at using them.

Cassie opened her wardarobe shared with her two friends Rose and Wylliana. On her shalf there were her valyrian steel daggers. Her father had gave them to her when she left for the wall the first time. It had been just one present, but he gave them to her in person, so it was a nice memory. She loved using them, they were light and sharp, it was like not having them on her. But she couldn’t use them at the Wall, not for training anyhow, she was allowed to take them when she went beyond the Wall.

Cassie then took her training daggers, which couldn’t cut anything, to not hurt the new girls and Night’s Watchers. When she took them, a peace of parchment fell down, but she caught it before it could reach the grownd. She looked at it, before slamming it in the wordarobe again. Robb had wrote it to her, telling that little Bran had fell and his back was broken. He was so young, it was unfair that it had to happen. She closed the door of the wordarobe before turning to made her bed. She did it every morning, all the keepers had to take care of their own belongings, wash and fix their dress, make their bed, light the fire… She then take something from under the pillow. It was a doll, her first and only doll. Ned and Cat had gave it to her as a welcoming when they met the first time. She had called her Daisy, because of her dress with daisies’ embroideries. Cassie had never played with it, for the lack of free time she had and she had never take it in King’s Landing, she was afraid that her mother would have give it to Myrcella, so Daisy waited for Cassie on her bed at the Wall. Only Cassie’s friends knew about her.

Finally ready, she walked to the main hall where all of the Night’s Watchers and Keepers ate before starting their duties.

“Cassie, over here” She saw Rose waving at her from a table. Rose Rivers was Cassie best friend at the Wall, she was truly the sweetest girl she had ever met, Rose didn’t like violence and she didn’t like go beyond the Wall, but she was very skilled with arrows and bow.

“Hi” she said sitting next to her friend “Where is Wylliana? Is she not with you?” Cassie asked not seeing Wylliana anywhere.

“She was on shift on the Wall all night, don’t you remember?” Rose said with a gentle voice.  Cassie thought about that, indeed she hadn’t see her last night in her bed when she came back from her shift.

“Not a good day, is it?” Cassie rubbed her eyes again tiredly, before starting to eat “You have been strange since that letter arrived” Rose added, she was there when she recived Robb’s letter “Did something happen?” Cassie looked at her friend before shooking her head.

“No” Rose was about to say something else, when someone set in front of them.

“Hey, Wylly”Cassie said with cheer in her voice “Had fun up there?” Wylliana rolled her eyes.

“Please don’t remind me” she said “Try to spend a night with Todder, then tell me how much fun you had” Todder was one of the new recruits of the Night’s Watch, but he hadn’t swore the vows yet. He wasn’t bright, or funny, nor even pleasant to look at… better a night alone than with him.

Wylliana was the second daughter of lord Wylis Manderly, heir of Wyman Manderly, lord of White Harbor. Manderlys had been loyal bannerman of the Starks for agies. Their banner was a merman with green beard, hair and tail and a trydent in his hand. Cassie had never had the plasure to met lord Wyman Manderly who, according to Wylliana, was a very funny man. Wylliana was three years older than Cassie and Rose, she was seventeen and she was probably, Lady Eloise, the Matriarch’s favorite. The Matriarch was the head of the Keepers of Light, like the Lord Commander for the Night’s Watch. Wylliana was pacient and wise, it was obvious to everyone that she was rased by lords. She was strict but she had inherited her granfather’s sense of humor, apparently. Cassie was sure that Wylly could be a great Matriarch and she hoped that Lady Eloyse would chose her as her successor. Because Keepers of Light didn’t chose their leader, the Matriarch choose the most compitent one among them.

“Is the princess still sleepy?” that voice made Cassie roll her eyes “Is it to early for you?” even without turning her head, she already knew who was talking. Ser Allyser Thorne, the most vicious member of the Night’s Watch. Unfortunately Cassie had to spend a lot of time with that  scum, he trained the new boys and supervised when the Keepers trained with them. He had never liked Cassie very much. She wondered why, she was always so lovable.

“I don’t even have to turn to know that it was you” Cassie said standing up from her sit with a smirk “Your spits precede you” then she patted his shoulder “Speak with your mouth less open, will you?” The man face became red with anger, she miled sweetly at him before turning to her friends “Gonna take something to drink, want something?” Rose shook her head avoiding Thorne’s gaze, while Wylliana kept eating to hide her smirk. Without another glance at the man, Cassie moved past him, to go and take some beer.

And her mother always blamed Cassie’s similarities with her father, when she had known that Cassie liked to drink. What could she do? If there was something that never ended at the Wall was the beer.

She looked at the main hall. Everyone was eating, drinking and chatting. Her gaze stopped to a table where a young man was joking around cousing to everyone around him to laugh. That guy was probably a few years older than Cassie and he loved to make impressions of everyone. Pyp, was his name, if she recorded correctly, he wasn ‘t there when Cassie left for King’s Landing . She had never spoken to him, according to Rose he was a nice guy to be with.

A bell rang making everyone to stop what they were doing, immediately all the girls in the room stood up. That was the signal for them to meet with Lady Eloyse on the yard, like every morning.

That day was cold, the wind was blowing costantly, very different from the cool breeze that reminded her of Winterfell. If it was cold for them, the boys would have had trouble today. Keepers of Light were more resistant to the cold. It made sense to Cassie, their power worked only if their hands were bared. Of course they weren’t immune to the cold, during the winter even Keepers of Light could die freezing, so they trained all their life to fight against it. Keepers of light’s vestes were all differen, but there is was something they had to have: a part of their body had to be bared. Cassie had the neck and the shoulders, Wylliana had the soulders and part of the arms and Rose neck and a part of her back, everyone could choose when they sewed their own vest.

All the Keepers of Light lined up in front of their Matriarch. Lady Eloyse was a gentle woman, green eyes and black hair strained with white, she wasn’t old, but she wasn’t even young. She had been Cassie’s only Matriarch since she arrived at the Wall.

“Good morning to all of you” she said with loud voice, to be heard from everyone “Here’s your duties” some peace of parchment in her hand “Tresa, Wylliana and Kyuna, you’ll have to train the youngests” Cassie looked at the little girls, there were six of them, they had arrived a year before. Cassie let out a breath happly,she didn’t like train little girls, they get tired easly and cried a lot. She didn’t remeber to have been like that at their age.

“Derya, Una, Rose, Elsye, Raven” at their names the girls looked at the woman “Train with the rangers of the Night’s watch” that was fun, usually they tarined on how to work in couples. Beyond the Wall they had to work closely with the ranger paired with each of them. Every Keeper went beyond the Wall when they were considered ready.

“Luna, Freema, Hydi and Cassandra sewing lesson” Cassie smiled, that was what she wanted to do that morning, she was to tired to run up and down for hours.

The girls older than twenty had been sent to train with the weaponds, the girls between nine and eleven had to practice how to keep control on their powers and soon everyone knew their duty for the morning. Not that take them to much time, the keepers were less then forty, the wildlings were becoming more violent and lots of them had died by their hands. Others had joined the wildlings, other keepers had died of age and with the winter closer and closer less girls arrived at the Wall every years.

 

If there was something that relaxed Cassandra Baratheon was sewing lesson. It was funny how her mother always thought that Cassie didn’t even knew what a needle was, while the girl knew how to sew. Well, she wasn’t skilled, they didn’t need to be skilled. They need just to be able to fix their vests if they were ripped, be fast at add fur to theirs and the men’s cloaks and of course suture if they got injured. Sewing had saved lives more times than a sword, you can’t keep warm with a weapon.

She was there sweing together some ripped and old fabrics when she saw a piece of black cloth near her footh. She took it in her hand, there’d been something that she had always wanted to learn, made and embroidery of a stag. She wanted to add it to her black dress. Maybe she could have practiced on that.

I could ask Sansa when I’ll go South, she though bittersweetly she didn’t want to think about the Stark children spending time with Joff.

“Cassandra knows him” at the mention of her name she turned her head to the three girls, who were talking to each other.

“Cassandra knows who?” She asked annoyed, keeping sewing.

“You.. You know the lord of Winterfell, don’t you?” Freema said timidly, she was twelve, just two years younger than Cassie, she didn’t talk a lot.

“Yes, I do” Cassie answered taking a piece of fur in her hand.

“See!” Hydi exclaimed, she was twelve too but she was definatelly loud, so loud, too loud, and she loved Cassie. She was always on her heels, no metter what duty she had “I told you! Cassandra never lies! Derya is the lier!” At the mention of that name, Cassie rolled her eyes. Typical…

Derya Rowen was two or three years older than Cassie, she wasn’t sure, she honestly didn’t care. She was the elder daughter of lord Mathis Rowan of Goldengrove, in the Reach. Cassie and Derya had never get along, but everything got worst after Cassie’s first mission beyond the Wall. Cassie was sure that she was jelouse just because the princess had gone first.

Derya was a great worrior, the spear was her weapon of choice, she was fast, but Cassie had always been faster. Derya hated the fact tha Cassie had always beat her during their trainings, but after all no one had ever beated Cassie. Derya was even a big mouth, so everytime she could she talked behind Cassie’s back, especially when the girl was away from the Wall.

“You shoul focus on the work” Cassie said “Not on this rubbish” she had to tolerate gossiping around all King’s Landing.

“Sorry” Freema apologized timidly with a light blush on her cheeks. Cassie looked at the girls focusing their attention on their works.

“We were just curious if you knew what happened” Hydi exclaimed standing up, overing over Cassie.

“He deserted, he got beheaded. Easy” the princess said simply. They had been at the Wall for years now, they should have known how it works.

“But Tommy liked in here” Luna, a girl of sixteen, talked for the first time “You know that” Cassie laughted looking at the cloth she had in her hands.

“Why are you laughing?” Luna asked bored.

“Tommy was a thief” Cassie answered sarcastically keeping sewing “This was the last place he wanted to be” None of the Night’s Watch liked to be there, except for the older men maybe. But in any case once at the Wall, they had to learn their place, focus on their duties, but they weren’t free and someone broke down sooner or later. Tommy was one of those.

“You weren’t here when he run away” Luna argued bitterly “He came back alone and terrified” Cassie looked at Luna, she was close to her tears, always so sensible, always the first to cry.

“Scared after being behind the Wall?” Cassie said unimpressed “Someone got pretty scared out there, do you know it? How many times have you gone? Two or three?” Luna shook her head at her words, Hydi and Freema were looking between the two quietly.

“Sorry, I forgot” Luna said bitterly “To the great Cassandra Baratheon even being scared it’s stupid”

“Yes, if it get’s you killed” Casse argued harshly “What’s the point of surviving if you go out there to get yourself beheaded? You survived, then fight!” Luna laughed bitterly.

“You grow up but you are always the same”

“What? Honest?” Cassie said. The two girls were looking each other in the eyes, daggers from both of their gaze.

The bell rang again in all Castle Black. Luna trowed her work on the ground and exited the room quikly, Freema followed her immediately without a word. Cassie let out a frustrated breath, trowing her work away, not even caring where.

“You’ve been harsh” Hydi said without anger in her voice “I’m sorry you two had fight because of me” Cassie frowned at her words.

“People don’t like the truth” Cassie said standing up “I don’t care, it’s their problem”  she was almost at the door, when Hydi spoke again “He was truly terrified, that’s why I wanted to know what he said to the lord of Winterfell. I wanted to know if he said the same thing he said to me” Cassie stopped at the door. Hydi’s voice wasn’t happy as usual, she could sense fear in her words. The princess looked again at the girl who was now looking her own shoes.

“What did he say to you?” She asked studing the girl. Whatever he had said she seemed truly scared, not that Cassie blamed her. Hydi had never been behind the Wall, it wasn’t easy to learn what they would have faced once out there.

“He said he saw something” her voice cracked, Cassie never stopped looking at her “He said he saw … The Others” that was not possible. The Others were stories, fairytales to tell the children at night and keep them in bed. Ancient creatures which come out just during the winter, their skin as pale as the snow, impossible to kill. Nothing like those had been in Westeros since the times of Brandon the Buildler, the times of the Long Night, but those were stories.

“Is it true Cassandra?” Hydi asked in a whisper “Does the Others really exist?” It wasn’t possible, there must have been something else, something real. Hydi was looking at her waiting for an answer, so Cassie took a breath.

“He could have seen everything” she said “It was alone and scared, the mind play tricks when you are running for your life” a spark appeared on Hydi’s eyes “For now don’t worry about it”

“Focus on your works” Hydi said with a smile, before hugging Cassie who went rigid all of a sudden “You are great” she exclaimed before running out of the room. That girl really changed her mood quickly. But her words kept spinning in Cassie’s mind, she knew what could happened out there alone, the mind really like to confuse even more. But still Tommy was a ranger, he should have been used to that feeling. Why talking about the Others?

Cassie’s mind was full of question for all the day. Why the Others? Why not just a wildling? Something like the return of a legend must had had some kind of sign, but there had been none. There were just the wildlings who were becoming more insistent to attack near the Wall. Why? She wondered. They never attacked so much before.

 Then she thought about Tommy, a decent guy who chosed to die instead of being relived because he was still alive. He was a ranger for gods’ sake, she thought. Or maybe he went mad, it could have happen. Maybe she was overthinking just about a mad man’s words. Someone got mad behind the Wall, even Trevys not long ago had gone mad. And then he run away and got beheaded, Cassie thought. And it had happened other two times racently. She had even heard her father and Ned talking about some execution when they were at Winterfell.

A week had passed and Cassie still thought about that conversation with Hydi. Frequently she said to herself she was a stupid, believing in old fairytales, she had been beyond the Wall many times and nothing supernatural had ever crossed her path.

“Smile, Cassie, smile” Wylliana’s voice made Cassie turn to her.

“There is nothing to smile about” Cassie puffed “I hate welcoming the novices”

“That’s why you are here, Cassandra” Lady Eloyse said, the woman was walking ahead of them. That day little girls of five were coming to the Wall, Cassie and her friend should have show them around, explain to them their new life at the Wall. Lots of girls usually cried, wanting to go back to their families. Cassie hadn’t cried, when she arrived at the Wall and not only because she didn’t miss her mother but mainly because she was so happy to help the realm. To her training all day wasn’t so different from her normal days in King’s Landing.    ‘Qed

She didn’t want to calm down desperate children, she didn’t even know how. The only good thing was that with her there were Rose and Wylly or Cassie would have stabbed herself.

The heavy wooden door of Castle Black opened making snowflakes dancing in the air. Cassie looked at them flying before come back on the ground, the snow was so pure so innocent, it remembered of her child self, flying happly, and then grownig up she came back to the grownd.

“Benjen, Aljsha, Yoren” lord comander Mormont roared with a pleasent laugh. Lord Jeor Mormont, the Old Bear, had been the former Lord of House Mormont, but he joined the Night’s Watch even before Cassie’s father’s rebellion, leaving the Bear Island to his son Jorah. She knew that Ned had exiled that man who became a slave nc. Anyway, Jeor Mormont was very different from his son, he was just, honest and the bravest man on the Wall. He was a good lord comander.

“Lord comander” Benjen greeted him politlydd, followed by Aljsha. Behind them there was what seemed a courtage. Aljsha and Yoren usually went on mission together, he went to take new criminals to take to the Wall and she usually was the one who take girls when they couldn’t reach the North alone. The two of them must have met with Benjen on their way to the Wall, Cassie thought.

“For fuck sake” Cassie muttered when she saw Jon Snow riding behind his uncle. The little lord on his horse, ready to start his new life in the cold.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked in a soft whisper.

“An idiot on his horse” Jon seemed to have heard Cassie’s words because he looked down at her. No smile appeared on his face, not that the girl aspected it be. Jon Snow was the best guy that Cassie had ever known, gentle, shy… He wouldn’t have last a day.

“Lord Commander, this is my nephew, Jon Snow” Ben said when Jon get down from his horse and approached the Old Bear “He wants to join the Night’s Watch” it seemed that Ben didn’t managed to make Jon chamge his mind. Cassie shocked her head with a cold quite laugh.

“Do you know him?” Rose asked.

“Of course she does” Wylliana answered “He is lord Stark’s bastard. He is your friend if I recall correctly” Cassie’s eyes never left Jon Snow, on his dark hair some snowflakes, around his neck his fur coat, always the same fur coath and his eyes were looking amazed the Wall above them.

“Well that’s a good news” Rose said looking at Jon with a smile “One more decent guy for us this time”

“One more idiot, you mean” Cassie almost growled under her breath, but her friends heard her good. The two girls looked at each other with pointed expression, Cassie was sure, she knew those girls very well.

Suddenly something pull the skirt of her dress. Immediately Cassie turned around and her eyes met deep red onces.

“Ghost” she muttered, looking at the pup bigger than the last time she saw him. His white fur was shining and his tale was moving fast happly.

“Oh my gods” Rose gasped looking amazed by the creature before her.

“Ghost!” Hearing Jon’s voice made the pup turn his gaze “Come here!” Ghost let go Cassie’s vest before running to the boy and sitting next to him. She couldn’t believe it, he brought it and that pup was still listening to him.

“It can’t be” Wylliana breathed out with wide eyes “That boy owns a direwolf”

“There are any in this side of the Wall” Rose whispered with a smile on her face “I thought there exsistense was a legend”

A legend, Cassie thought. Werewolves were indeed a legend, and there he was. One of the seven pups that the Stark children found not long ago. A shiver run down Cassie’s back, while studing Ghost. A legend back to life. Then could have it been possible that Tommy wasn’t lieing?

No, she thought, it’s impossible. Werewolves were ancient animals, maybe they were good at hiding, but the Others were undead monsters, who ate children and had an army of dead and giant spiders, it couldn’t be possible.

“Dear niece” Cassie eyes widened in pure shock hearing that voice. Her uncle Tyrion Lannister and two of his men had just entered the gates, it was impossible not to notice them and not just for the unique shape of her uncle, but because they were all dress in crimson red and a golden lion was roaring on their capes.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Cassie asked approaching her uncle horse “This is not your place”

“Like a lioness protecting her territory” Tyrion said with a smirk, he seemed unimpressed by her reaction.

“I’m not a lion” she argued back with a growl. Why was he here? He was to coward to join the Night’s Watch.

“Cassandra” Mormont’s voice made her turn “Do you know this man?”

“Yes, sir” she answered biting her tongue to stop herself from saing something inappropriate “He is my uncle, sir. Tyrion Lannister”

“Lord Tyrion Lannister” her uncle said.

“Maybe you know him by the name of the Imp” Cassandra was quick to add with an innocent expression.

“Thank you, Cassandra” Lady Eloyse said making her understand to come back to her former place. Wylliana and Rose were looking at her with friendly small smiles, like they always did, when she got angry.

“What brings you here, lord Tyrion?” The Old Bear asked with his deep voice.

“I’ve never been this far before” her uncle answered “And my niece loves in here so much that got me curious. I wanted to see the Wall with my own eyes” Cassie shooked her head. That day was going great so far, first Jon, now him, if the next to enter that gate was her mother she would have thrown herself down the Wall.

“You are very welcomed to stay” Mormont said “One of my men will show you around” Tyrion bowed his head to the men before passing over Cassie, without a glance.

She didn’t want him in here, she didn’t want none of her family there. Why he couldn’t come back in King’s Landing or in his precious Casterly Rock? Cassie just wanted peace and quiet and she couldn’t have none of this with her uncle there.

“Girls” lady Eloyse voice made Cassie looked up “Here the novices” three girls, just three. If they were three now, what would have happened just before the winter?

“Please tell your names girls” the woman said with kind voice.

“I’m Alina” a little girl with golden hair and brown eyes spoke biting her lip, her hands gripping her cloack.

“I’m Calynda” next to the first a girl with auburn hair and green eyes spoke, her eyes puffy and red, it was clear that she was fighting back her tiers.

“I’m Judyth” the last said, she was very short, the sortest of the three, her eyes were black as her hair, she was looking at the Wall and then at the men of the Night’s Watch.

“Each of you with one of them, girls” Lady Eloyse said. The three older girls nodded their heads before Wylliana spoke.

“Of course, Matriarch” then she turned her gaze to Rose “Rose, care to take care of Calynda?” The girl approched the auburn child kneeling before her.

“Hi, I’ll take care of you today” among them probably Rose was the best with children, it was a shame that she could have never had any of her own.

“Cassie, will you…” But Wylliana got interrupted by Thorne.

“Lady Eloyse” the woman greeted him bowed her head gently “Since your girls aren’t that busy today and I have many things to do, could it be possible that the three of them could show the new recruits around?” Vicious, Cassie thought. Probably he didn’t want to do it “And for what I heard the princess knows one of the new boys” he smirked at the girl that had her mouth ajar. He must had heard her before. Tipical of Thorne, always creep around.

“If you are so busy, that’s fine” Lady Eloyse then walked closer to him “But Allyser, the girls are not here to do your job. Are we clear?” The Matriarch was kind, but she wasn’t stupid and Cassie was pretty sure that the two of them had had a lot of time to know each other, during their years at the Wall.

“Crystal clear, Matriarch” he said bitterly, but he smirked nonetheless “Come on! Come here” there were five of them, five men and a direwolf. Jon was there, of course, and it was clear that he was the only highborn between them. Three of them were skinny and pale. The last one was fat, with dark hair, it was clear to Cassie that he wanted to show confidence, but he was scared, all of them were on their first day.

“You” Thorne said pointing at one of the two skinny men “With the one dressed as a men” Wylliana rolled her eyes. Her vest hadn’t a skirt, but trousers. No man could have wear them without showing the shape of their … things, to tight. But Thorne didn’t like when girls didn’t wear skirts. Idiot…

“Softy” he said talking to Rose “A gift for you today, this one. He barely speak” the girl took a breath before gesturing the guy to go with her.

Then Thorne turned to Cassie, with a vicious smirk.

“Princess!” He exclaimed “You can certaly endle two, and one is even your friend, isn’t he?” she glared at him, that man loved to go under her skin, it never seemed to bored him “You must tell him he doesn’t have privilegies just because Cassandra Baratheon will protectim”

“I thought you have many duties, Thorne” Cassie said looking at lady Eloyse with the corner of her eyes. Thorne followed her gaze and his smirk vanished.

“Get to work!” He said before storming off with quick steps. Cassie smirked, proud of herself, then she turned to the little girls.

“What’s your name again?” She asked to the girl with black hair.

“Judyth” she answered immediatly, Cassie nodded before looking at Wylly.

“She is with me” her friend agreed, before Cassie started to walk towards the trainigs camp. The little girl was behind her in a moment, but then she noticed that Jon and the fat one were still where she had left them.

“Are you waiting for an invitation?” She yelled “Come on” Jon rolled his eyes before approaching Cassie with Ghost and the other one.

The princess started to show them around. She first took them to the training yard where some men were training with swords. The sound of blade agains blade was a sweet music on that yard, she liked it, she had always liked it.

“You’ll train here” Cassie said. Jon looked down at the men, studing their moviments, she knew he wanted to go already, he loved sword fighting, even if he did that just with wooden swords.

“But..” Judyth said “Where are the girls?” Jon turned to Cassie, curious as much as the child.

“We don’t train out there, not at your age, anyway” Cassie answered starting to walk again heading to the next stop of their little tour.

“Why?” The fat one spoke for the first time “Afraid to die freezing?” Cassie turned to look at him with cold eyes. They had a funny guy, now? She studied him up and down. He clearly had never met or spoken with one of them. Keepers weren’t many and in the Seven Kingdoms not everyone knew precisly what they could do.

“It’s not for us” she said looking at the man in the eyes “It’s for you” she saw his expression became confused and he studied her to search for any sort of lieing.

“Why?” Jon spoke for the first time. She looked at him, wondering if he was still angry at her. She certanly was at him, but not having him speak to her was very strange, zcassie had to admitt it.

“Our powers are instable, when we are that young” she explained looking Jon in his eyes “Do you know how your powers work, Judyth?”

“Our touch is a danger. Our touch make others become our slave for life” she spoke, if there was something that a keeper knew was what they couldn’t do: touch someone with bare hands. The little one indeed was wearing her gloves. Cassie had wear them since she was seven, but it depended on how much control they had on their power.

“Just a single touch” Cassie said looking her friend in his eyes seriously “If we are not in control, in just a moment your coscence is lost and nothing will get it back to you” Jon eyes deverted from Cassie. He was so surprised. Ned and Catelyn must have not tell their children the whole story behind her powers. To protect them, maybe. Are you afraid, Jon Snow? Cassie wondered, looking at his expression.

“What happen if… I do it to someone?” Judyth asked timidly.

“They got killed” Cassie answered simply and the girl gave a gasp. Jon gaze wondered between the two girls before him, he seemed so confused “But we prevert it by training in another section of the castle”

When she took them in front of the Keepers’ training chamber, she saw that the fat guy’s face was very pale, his confidence already disappearing. So predictable…

Jon was looking at the door, he was curious, Cassie could see it in his eyes, but there was something else in his eyes, something she couldn’t place.

“You won’t enter in here” Cassie said resting her back on the wooden door “Little girls without gloves, you know?” Then she turned to the girl “But you will come here everyday from tomorrow” the girl looked at the door, she was nervous, but she got a good control on her emotions, her hands were just shaking lightly “You’ll train costantly and you’ll lean how to control it better” then she turned to the boys “Of course, you aren’t allowed in here” but she was sure they would have never got too close to that room. She was sure for the fat one and she hopped for Jon.

Then Cassie took them in the main hall, to the septon, just in case they wanted to pray in the next future, in front of maester Aemon’s study and to the armory. Then she took them to the quorters were they all sleep.

“Judyth” the girl looked at her with curious eyes “The third chamber over there in yours, you will find a black vest on you bed, you’ll have to wear that from now on” Cassie said “It’s ugly, but you’ll grow fond of it” the little girl nodded “So our three rules: don’t touch anyone without gloves untill the Matriarch tells you to. Take care of all of your stuff, if you don’t nobody will. And train hard, only with train you’ll became a good Keeper” Judyth thanked her  before running to her room “You can stay in your room until you hear a bell ring” Cassie called out “When you do, go in the main yard” Judyth nodded again before thanking her again and enter in her room. Cassie hadn’t even asked her where she was from, but it didn’t matter. When they were at the Wall, it didn’t matter their lifes they had out there. But luckly fir Cassie, Judyth was a calm girl, she didn’t want to think of what Rose was living. The little girl she had to take care of was already crying at the entrance.

Then she took the two boys in the male’s section and she stopped in front of a door.

“I’ll leave you in your chambers, you’ll find your new clothes there” her voice echoed in the dark corridor of Castle Black. That castle was quite, so different from the other castles she knew. It wasn’t coloured as the Red Keep and it wasn’t warm as Winterfell. But she had grown to accepted it and she felt at ease behind those walls.

“You” she said to the fat one “What is your name again?” He growled at her, since they had talked about the girl’s power he kept far away from them.

“Why should I tell you my name?” he argued making Cassie rolled her eyes.

“Very well” she said “Wanker, it is” she saw Jon looked at her shocked. His eyes travelled between the two and he seemed almost worry. The fat one became red with anger, he seemed ready to attack her. Cassie stayed calm, if he had even a little brain he wouldn’t do anything.

“So, Wanker” she said walking towards him but she saw him take a step back. She smirked at his reaction “This is your room. Bye” then she walked past him, followed by Jon Snow and his direwolf.

“Cassie, do you know why he is here?” Jon asked in his concerned tone, walking closely to her.

“So now you are talking to me” Cassie said sarcastically.

“Stop it” he answered in a serious tone “Do you know it?”

“No” she answered simply, keeping walking.

“He is a rapiest” she should have known by looking at him, actually “He is dangerous” Jon was so naive, she almost laughed.

“Are you concerned about my virtue, Jon Snow?” She mocked him “Believe me, he is the one in danger if he get too close” then he stopped her by the arm, his face serious, his eyes were full of question.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” He asked, but she frouned at his words “About your powers” she was pretty sure she had told all the Starks she had special abilities, they knew she was diffrent from them, why was he so surprised?

“You have never told me how they work” she scrolled her shoulders “You have never told me how strong they are” his eyes were kind, always kind, even now, even there.

“Are you afraid of me, Jon Snow?” She asked simply, he seemed shocked almost offended by her question.

“No” he exclaimed. She shook her head noticing no lie in his eyes.

“Then you are more stupid than I thought”  his face was confused and he let go of her arm, without breaking the eye contact with Cassie’s.

“Are you going to act like that, from now on?” She was just being honest. He was a stupid. He was a stupid for being here, he was a stupid because he thought he was brave, he was stupid to come in a place of which he knew anything. But there was still time before his vows, still time to make him change is stupid mind. That wasn’t his place, it couldn’t be his place.

“This is your chamber” Cassie said pointing at the door behind Jon “Welcome to the Wall, Jon Snow” then she tuned her back at him and walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

[CYEL](https://www.google.it/search?q=mary+reign&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7_Iy_kYHWAhWJmbQKHY2mDwwQ_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=894#imgrc=B0R4-PHUiEsHIM:)

“Ah! I got you” Cyel exlaimed when she finally got Rickon.

Robb and Antea wanted to talk to lady Catelyn, they wanted for their mother to leave Bran’s room sometimes; things had to be done after the visit of the King and her children needed their mother. Cyel had seen lady Catelyn when she went to visit Bran, but Cyel never dared to speak to her and the lady never even seemed to notice her presence. She had never seen lady Catelyn so destraught, so desperate, everyone said that she should stop acting like that and they were right she was the lady of Winterfell after all, but a part of Cyel wondered about Catelyn the mother. Could someone still act normal when their own child could die any moment? Maybe even a strong woman like Catelyn Stark couldn’t manage to pretend that everything was alright.

Since Antea was busy, she asked Cyel to take Rickon to sleep, but the boy didn’t want to. He said that no one cared if he was awake or asleep. He had run around Cyel in the past half hour. Shaggydog was of course in the chamber, waving his black tail everytime Rickon run past him. In the end Cyel had been able to get him in her arm, but Rickon tried to get out from her grip, so she picked him up “It’s time for bed, little lord”

“Cyel, no!” He argued kicking his legs. Cyel took a breath before sitting on Rickon’s bed and putting him on her lap, hugging him.

“Sweetie, it’s late” she said softly. Rickon didn’t answer but he sniffed, looking at his feet.

“Why Robb and Antea are not here?” his voice was broken, but he didn’t dare to look up “Why Mother doesn’t want to see me?” Cyel closed her eyes trying to stop tears from falling down “Why did everyone leave me?” Rickon was just three. All of this must have been so confusing to him, he couldn’t understand what was happening; his father and sisters had gone away, his hadn’t seen or spoken to his mother in two weeks and his older brothers were very busy those days. It was normal for him to feel abbandoned.

“Listen to me, Rickon, listen” she said, turning him to face her. His eyes were puffed and red and his lip between is teeth, to try not to cry “Your family loves you, you know that?” Cyel said with a smile “Just sometimes family can’t be together all the time, but that doesn’t mean that their love for you stops” she moved his hair from his forehead.

“How do you know?” the boy asked pouting.

“My family is not all here” she answered sweetly “But I love all of them and they all love me” Rickon seemed to think about her words and he rubbed his eyes before asking:

“Do you promise?” Cyel pretended to be shocked by that.

“Did I ever lie to you, little one?” She said starting to tickle him and Rickon started to laugh. Cyel smiled looking at him, she had always seen that feastly boy happy, it was so strange to see him so sad. Rickon was too young to be sad, all of them cold be, but not him.

“That’s it!” she exclaimed before standing up and with the boy in her arms she move a side the covers of the bed “It’s time for bed” Cyel put Rickon down, before positioning the fur blankets around him. The boy layed down, only his face visible to Cyel, who smiled. But Rickon seemed to think about something.

“Cyel, will I be alone again tomorrow?” Cyel shook her head with a smile.

“You are lucky” she said “I’m free tomorrow, so you…” She pocked his chest “… And I are going to play as long as you want” his smile was wide.

“You, I and Shaggy!” He exclaimed. Cyel eyes fell on the black direwolf who looked at them before turning to look again out of the window.

“Of course” she answered “You’ll chose the game”

“I already know the game” he exclaimed happly “Run and chasing” she should have known, Rickon loved to run around the field of Winterfell.

“Very well” Cyel said “Run and chasing, it is” they laughed at each other before Cyel spoke again:

“Now, time for bed” he puffed, rolling his eyes. Everyting was a good reason to Rickon to not going to sleep “Come on, I’ll tell you a story” his eyes lighted up in a moment, Rickon loved stories. But before she could start to talk an howling made her turn.

“Bran’s..” she muttered, looking the window. That direwolf really loved Bran, he had stayed out of his window since he had fallen, singing to him, for him, hoping for his friend to wake up.

Will you wake up? Cyel wondered saddly. Two weeks, two weeks without Bran running around, without hearing him laugh. It still seemed a nightmare to her. To all of them.

Suddenly Shaggydog started to sing along with his brother and not after long even other two howlings joined them. They were all singing, praying for Bran. She felt her eyes watering, those creatures were like people and they were suffering like all of them.

“Do you miss him?” At Rickon sudden words she had to breath to control the tears trathening to slip from her eyes “It’s alright, you know? I miss him too” Cyel bit her lips before turning and look at Rickon with a forced smile.

“So, what about that story”

 

 

It hadn’t take too long for Rickon to fall asleep, and that she was glad of. Trying to be her usual self was becoming difficult; Cyel missed her friend, she missed him so much. Maester Luwin had told her that the great danger had passed, but then why Bran was still unconcious? Why his eyes were still opened and empty?

Cyel was tired, walking to her and her mother’s chamber, she hadn’t sleep that much those days; her mother was still ill, so Cyel often woke up to make sure she was alright, not that she had difficulties on waking up, the tought of Bran possibly dying was hunting her everywhere especially during night.

Suddenly she stopped, when she heard loud steps and voices echoing in the corridor. After a moment Robb, Antea and many soldiers appeared behind the corner. When Robb saw Cyel, he immediately walked towards her and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Cyel you have to go in your chamber” his tone was urgent and worried.

“Robb, what’s going on?” She asked looking unconfortably her friend in the eyes. Soldiers were passing by them with quick steps, while Antea approached them with Theon.

“There is a fire” a shiver run down her spine. Her thought went immediately to her mother, she was sick in bed someone must helped Cyel to move her to safety. Robb seemed to understood what she was thinking about because he squized her arms gently but urgently “It’s the library tower”

Cyel let out a breath of relief, her chamber were on the other side of the castle, her mother was safe.

“Cyel, why are you out?!” Exclaimed Theon with worry in his voice once him and Antea stopped next to them “Go in your room”

“Antea come back to Mother, she can’t be alone” Robb said turning to his sister, but Antea shook her head.

“Rickon could wake up and get scared” Antea said back “I have to go to him” Robb groaned. They were wasting time, Robb and Theon should have been outside but Robb was right, the lady wasn’t in the condition of being alone.

“I’ll go to the lady” at her words her three friends turned towards her. Theon seemed to not agree with Cyel, he was always overprotective over her. But Robb nodded quickly.

“Alright, then” he said before thanking Cyel and run away with Theon. Antea thanked her too, before running in the direction of Rickon’s room. Cyel immediately raced towards Bran’s chamber.

Winterfell was darker that night, it almost scared her; it was quiet without soldiers and servants around, they all were surely helping with the fire. Even a fire! They really didn’t need that. How did it happen? Maybe a candle had fallen. Cyel just hoped that no one was inside the library tower that night.

The girl climbed up the stairs that lead to Bran’s chamber. When she arrived in front of the door, she noticed it was closed. Why would the lady or his children close it in the rush of the moment? When she got closer she heard strange sounds, groans and sounds of bodies fighting. Without thinking twice Cyel entered the room and before her there was a short man, with blond hair and dark clothes, and he was holding lady Catelyn, who was trying to get out from his grip. The man hadn’t seen Cyel because she was behind his back, so the girl run to him and jumped on his back covering his eyes with her hands.

The man groaned but he let go of the lady, to busy to trying to stop Cyel to scretch is face with her nails. He tried to take her off of him, but Cyel clanged to him. She wouldn’t let him hurt her lady. Then suddenly the man pushed her against the wall. When her back hit hard the cold stone she let out a gasp, she closed her eyes for the pain and the man manged to make the girl fall and then he pushed her to the floor next to Catelyn.

“It’s mercy” he said holding a knife and walking towards Bran. He wasn’t there for the lady. He wanted to kill Bran.

“No!” Cyel got up at the same time of lady Catelyn. She didn’t even know how she could stop him, but she would have find a way.

They both runned to the man who turned quickly and pushed the woman again, making her fall on the floor, before turning to Cyel and slapped her across the cheek. The girl fell next to Bran’s bed, her eyes full of tears for the pain, her back was badly hurt and her cheek pulsed, but she was dertermined to standing up again. She was about to, when a shadow run in the chamber and jumped on the man, who started to scream in agony on the floor. Blood was on the floor, pearcing screams and groans echoed in the chamber. Cyel’s eyes were fixed on the crimson pool not far from the bed, she was shacking for what was happening before her and then she realized who had saved all of them from that murderer: Bran’s direwolf.

He looked at the murderer under him, with his mouth covered in blood, like he wanted to be sure that the man was dead, then he looked at lady Catelyn and licked her hands before turning to Cyel and do the same on her cheek, then the direwolf jumped on the bed to lay next to Bran.

The girl stood up still shacking and when a tear roll down her cheek she realized she was crying. She didn’t even know why, or maybe she did, she couldn’t think straight. But then she realized that the lady was still on the floor, so Cyel quickly whipped the tears away and run to her lady without looking at the body of the man at her feet. When she got closer Cyel noticed her lady’s hands covered in blood, on each of her palms a huge and deep cut. She had fought against that dagger with her bare hands, lady Catelyn was truly brave.

“My lady” she called softly to the woman who had her gaze fixed on the gold eyed direwolf “My lady, we need to find Maester Luwin” Lady Catelyn looked at her, her eyes were different, like she had saw Cyel now for the firs time. She studied her face for a moment, her gaze stopped on the girl’s cheek, before muttering:

“Thank you” then the woman got up, her bloody hands still up in front of her chest and looking at the direwolf she got closer to him before muttering another thank you to the creature. Then suddenly the lady started to laugh hysterically by herself. Cyel looked at the woman before her, but everything seemed like a nightmare to her. Her legs gave in and she fell on the floor taking deep breaths to calm herself.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but they were found like that by Robb, Theon and Ser Rodrick. They looked at them for a moment, before the Stark boy run to his mother, followed by Ser Rodrick who was esamining the dead man and Theon who knelt in front of Cyel.

“What has he done to you?” He muttered angrily touching her still swollen cheek, but the moment he brushed her skin she moved her face for the stinging pain.

“Cyel..” she looked at her friend shaking and other tears run down her cheeks.

“No, no, little one” Theon said hugging her close to him “It’s alright. You’re safe, now” she nodded against his shoulder, ignoring the pain of her back. She felt less terrified in that moment, but when she opened her eyes, her gaze fell on Bran, still unconscious.

That man wanted to kill him. He wanted to kill an innocent boy of seven. Why? Why would he do such a thing?

Maester Luwin and Antea rushed in the room some minutes later and they immediately kneeled to checked on the lady. Robb must had sent someone to call them, because the man was already giving the milk of poppies to the exousted lady. She fell asleep almost immediately and Robb gave orders to four man to took his mother in her chambers and guarding the door.

Cyel had been looking at Bran all along, not a moment her eyes deverted from him. Just now she realized what a great danger she and her lady had been through.

She could have died. But in that moment, when that man was approaching with the shining dagger towards her, she didn’t even care of getting hurt. She didn’t know if call it bravery or stupidity, but all that mattered was that Bran was alive, that was all she cared about.

“Cyel, how are you feeling?” Cyel looked away from Bran, to meet Robb’s eyes. The young lord had kneeled in front of her with an hand on her shoulder.

“I’m fine, Robb” she answered in a whisper, glad that her body had stopped shaking. Then suddenly two arms wrapped around her neck.

“Cyel, I’m so glad you are alright!” Antea said before break the hug with a seriuos expression “What were you thinking?!”

“Antea is right!” Cyel rolled her eyes tiredly and unimpressed at Theon’s words “You should have come and get help” Cyel was about to answer, but she got interrupted.

“He is right!” Antea exclaimed.

“Guys, leave her alone” Robb said trying to calm his friend and sister down.

“I’m sorry” she muttered massaging her tample, her three friends turned to her “When I came in, that man was trying to kill the lady” she shivered at the memory “I… didn’t have time to think” Antea took her hand with a little smile, trying to confort her.

“Thank you” Robb spoke softly “For save our mother” she wasn’t the one who saved her, but surely they already knew that by looking at the body, so Cyel nodded with a smile.

“Why would he wanted to kill the lady?” At Theon’s words Cyel eyes fell on the bed.

“He wasn’t” Cyel said more to herself, her eyes never leaving the shape of Bran’s body under the covers. Her head was poding and her back hurted like the seven hells.

“What do you mean?” but before the girl could answer to Antea’s question the maester voice made them turn.

“I need to visit Cyel, my lords” Robb and Theon nodded, they smiled at the girl before leaving the room.

“Do you want me to stay?” Antea asked “I have to stay with Bran, tonight. But I can sit here if you prefer” Cyel shook her head looking at her friend.

“Go to him” she said “It’s more important” Antea frowned at her words “I’ll leave as soon as the maester has done” Antea looked at her unconcious brother before nodding to Cyel and standing up.

“Does it hurt somewhere, Cyel?” the maester said sitting in front of her.

“There are going to be guards outside of this room tonight?” She asked immediately while looking at Bran.

“Of course, Cyel” Maester Luwin said studing her face closely “They are already here” Cyel turned to the man with a small smile and nodding her head.

“My back” she said “My back hurts”.

It had been four days since the attack and lady Catelyn was still sleeping. It wasn’t just for the milk of poppies, that was the first time in two weeks that the lady had closed her eyes. Cyel was feeling better, thare were still bruises on her back, but they were fading more and more everyday and her cheek wasn’t swallen anymore.

Phelya got mad at Cyel when the maester told her what had happened. Of course as a mother she was worried for her, but Cyel didn’t want for her to stress, it wasn’t healthy in her condition. In the last days she had calmed down, but Phelya seemed to overthink about something, Cyel didn’t dare to ask, afraid to argue with her mother again. Cyel was very sorry to have caused so much trouble to Phelya, but she didn’t regret helping her lady and Bran; she was glad to that moment of bravery that took over her that night.

“You are not eating with the Starks, today” Phelya stated looking up from her plate. Cyel usually ate with the Starks as their ward, but lately there was no one to break their fast. The lady was still asleep, Antea was taking care of her younger brothers. Cyel would have helped her, but the maester told her to rest and not to stress her back, so he gave her the milk of the poppies, so she hadn’t been very helpful those days. And Robb and Theon were busy with the soldiers to find out who was the blond man who attacked lady Catelyn.

Cyel had thought about him constantly. She wanted to understand who he was and why he wanted to kill Bran. She was hoping that Robb would find those answers soon. Cyel was just hoping that there weren’t others hiding in Witerfell who were planning to kill her friend.

“I think I’ll go to pay a visit to Bran” the girl answered sipping her milk “Maybe I can help Antea” her mother studied her with her blue eyes.

“The maester said that you need rest” Cyel put down her cup, before slowly standing up from her chair.

“I’ve rested for three days” she said walking to her box of jewels. Everything that her father had ever sent her was in there. She choose an hairband with silver leaves on it and hidden under them there was a snake with orange eyes.

“I’m fine mother, don’t worry” she answered sweetly turning to the woman. Her mother nodded at her with kind eyes before someone knocked on the door.

“Come in” Phelya answered while Cyel quickly fixed the skirt of her dress.

Theon Greyjoy entered in the room. On his lather jerkin the shape of a kraken was visible. The kraken was the banner of house Greyjoy, lords of the Iron Islands. Theon always wore something with a kraken on it. It was important for them wards to wear something that reminded to everyone which house they belonged to.

“Good morning” he said with his wide smile to them.

“Theon, it’s good to see you” Phelya replied fixing the covers around her.

“Likewise” he bowed his head “How are you feeling, lady Rosemberg?” Phelya nodded politely.

“I’m feeling better, today. Thank you” Theon smiled again, before turning to Cyel, he seemed happy to see her up. He had visited her only the morning after the attack with Robb.

“You are still standing, that’s good” he exclaimed.

“You would be bored without me” Cyel smiled to her friend who rolled his eyes with a laugh, then he looked at Cyel more seriously.

“The lady woke up” at his words Cyel step closer to him.

“Really?” She asked relived. Theon nodded silently.

“How is she feeling?” Even Phelya seemed happy by the news. The two women had become close friends in the past seven years. Phelya wanted to visit lady Catelyn, but she couldn’t get up from bed.

“She just woke up” Theon said turning to Cyel “That’s why I’m here. She wants to talk to us. And she wants you there” probably she wanted to know what had happened those days. Cyel was surprised that the lady wanted her there.

Immediately she nodded her head to let know Theon she was ready to follow him. When she was at the door she turned to Phelya who gave her an encouraging smile.

“I’ll see you later, mother” then Cyel closed the wooden door before followin her older friend in the large corridors of Winterfell. She had missed doing it, walk around in Winterfell and seeing all the people that lived there, even if now most of the people she grew up with had gone South with lord Eddard. While she was passing by a group of servants, she saw them smiling happly at her, bowing their heads, and immediately Cyel did the same. The servants of Winterfell were so kind and always willing to help them children when they were up to something. Once Lylith, a servant that worked usually in the kitchen, hid Bran and Cyel who were running from Theon after a prank and then she gave them fresh made waffles, which they ate with Arya and Sansa.

It seemed it had happened so long before, a life before. Everything had changed so fast, they had to grow up so fast. Cyel didn’t feel like a girl of eleven anymore, it was so strange.

“Have you find out anything?” Cyel asked with low voice walking closer to Theon. Her friend understood that she was asking about the blond man, because looked around before whispering:

“Something” he said “But I’ll tell you later” she was eager to know, but if he couldn’t tell her now that man mustn’t had been a common man. Maybe he wanted to hurt lord Stark by hurting his son, but why? Lord and lady Stark were good lords, always taking care of the needs of their people. Why would someone do that to the lords of Winterfell?

They arrived in front of the chamber of the lady and in the same time Robb arrived with the new captain of the guard Hallis Mollen and Ser Rodrick Cassel. The young lord was dress in lather and his sword hung on his waist. He seemed a true lord, so different from the always funny boy she grew up with. He seemed older than his fifteen years.

“Lady Cyel” Ser Rodrick said when he saw her, Cyel bowed her head as a greeting “How are you feeling?”

“Quite well, thank you” she answered politly. Robb smiled at her.

“I’m glad to hear it” Cyel returned the gesture, before the young lord opened the door of his mother’s chamber.

The lady was sitting in her bed, with her there were already maester Luwin and Antea. The men was changing the lady’s bandages on her hands, Cyel realized just now how deep that cut was. The weapon that that man used should have been very sharp. Antea was sitting on a chair next to her mother, she was watching closely the maester’s moviments but when they entered the room, she raised her gaze and when she noticed Cyel, she smiled widely to her.

The lady looked at them too. Her eyes fell on her eldest son, maybe even her was surprised by how much older Robb looked. Then the lady looked at Cyel studing her face for a moment before speak:

“Who was he?” She was talking about the man.

“No one knew him, my lady” Hallis Mollan said “But some people saw him around Winterfell in the past few weeks”

“A man of the King” the lady said, then her face became hard, almost angry “A man of the Lannisters” Cyel looked closely at her lady, how could she be so sure? The lady seemed absolutely certain of what she was saying.

“We found this where he was sleeping” Robb took from his pocket a brown lather bag “In here there are ninety silver stags” Cyel eyes widened, he had been paid with all that money. All that coins… Someone very rich wanted for Bran to day. But why? Cyel wondered.

“It’s good to know my son’s life was not sold cheeply” the lady said bitterly, and she was right. Maybe lady Catelyn was right, that man maybe was one of the Lannisters’. Hearing what her father told her about the lords od Casterly Rock, Cyel wouldn’t be surprised, but the reason? What was the reason?

“Mother” Antea exclaimed with her eyes wide open “Are you saing they were here for Bran?”

“That’s madness” Theon shifted next to Cyel.

“It’s the truth” Cyel spoke and everyone’s eyes fixed on the girl “That man wanted to kill Bran, if it hadn’t been for his direwolf that man would have succeded and maybe he would have killed even the lady and me” Catelyn was looking at her nodding her head slowly, her eyes lighted up when Cyel mentioned her boy’s direwolf.

“That’s what you meant that night” Cyel frowned at Robb’s words. What happened after the attack was very confused in her mind. She remembered just bits and pieces of the convesation she had. The fear took the best of her.

“But why?” He added “Why would someone wants to do it? Gods he is just seven, helpless and sleeping…”

“You are going to rule the North Robb” the lady said with a challenging look “Think it throught. Answer your own question. Why would anyone want to kill a sleeping child?” Robb wore a pensive expression on his face, but he wasn’t the only one. Everyone was doing the same.

Cyel’s head was full of questions. There must have been something that she hadn’t paid attention on. If someone so rich had paid that man so much, it meant that they wanted Bran dead as soon as possible. They didn’t want for him to wake up. They were afraid of something that Bran knew… Or something that he saw…

“Someone doesn’t want him to wake up” Robb said gaving voice at Cyel’s thoughts “Bran must know something” Catelyn looked at her son proudly.

“Very good” the lady said before turning to the new captain of guard “We must keep Bran safe. If there was one killer, there could be others”

“Put one man in Bran’s chamber, night and day” Robb demanded “One out of his door, two at the bottom of the stairs. No one enter that room without mine, my mother’s or Antea’s warrat”

“Do it now” the lady added. Hallis bowed his head assuring he would have followed their orders.

“And let his wolf stay in his room” the young lord said. Lady Catelyn nodded her head vigurosly, agreeing with her son. That creature had saved her son, surely now she trusted him.

“And Cyel” she spoke after a moment. The girl looked at her lady with wide eyes, unsure she had heard her right “Lady Cyel is free to visit him” Hallis bowed his head and left.

Cyel and the lady were still looking at each other, there was something in her lady blue eyes, but Cyel wasn’t able to name it. She was glad that the lady trusted her that much, but she felt shocked nontheless. All of this involved the Starks and Cyel wasn’t, why the lady had made that decision?

“My lady” Ser Rodrick voice made the both of them look away and turn to him “I esamined the dagger. It’s Valyrian steel and surely no man like that could have one” Valyrian steel weapons were extreamly rare, no common man could own it. In Cyel’s mind there was just a House in the Seven Kingdom so rich to pay that much and with a blade like that. Lannisters.

“Close the door” the lady said with her usual calm voice. It was incredible how she seemed to come back in herself. The attack must have woken her up from grief, she was again the lady Catelyn they all knew.

“What I’m going to tell you must not leave this room” the lady said sternly “If I’m right then my husband and my girls are in extreme danger” at her words Antea’s eyes were a mixture of fear and anger and she immediately got closer to her mother “You must swear that nothing you’ll know will leave this room” when the lady looked at her daughter she immediately nodded.

Lannisters, now Cyel was sure. When she had met them she didn’t want to judge, but what her father had always told her about them was right. They were capable of everything, the lady was right, lordEddard and his daughters were in danger.

“I swear it, my lady” Cyel vowed with confidence “On my life” lady Stark seemed pleased by her words.

“Lord Stark is like a father to me” Theon said “I swear” everyone in the room did the same and soon the lady started to explain her theory.

Apparently lady Lysa Arryn, lady Catelyn’s sister, had wrote to the lords of Winterfell to let them know that the Lannisters had killed her husband Jon Arryn. That’s why lord Eddard had gone South.

Lannisters…

What did you see, Bran? She thought to herself. It must be something important. Maybe he found out that they had killed lord Arryn. But if they wanted to kill him, they must had known he knew. Cyel eyes widened in shock.

I never fall, Bran’s words echoed in her mind.

“It comes to my attention that Jamie Lanniester never left the castle for the hunt the day that Bran fell”

Bran was good, was to good at climbing, he had never flipped. He climbed trees and walls with ease, with rain, with snow. And the broken tower was his favourite place, he could have never fall.

“He’d been thrown” Cyle said with disgusted voice. That monster pushed Bran down and the next days he walked among them, talked and ate with them.

“That’s what I think too” Catelyn agreed with her.

“This is a monsterous suggestion” Ser Rodrick said. But Antea scoffed.

“The amount of concidences aren’t a sufficent proof?” The young lady said angrily “He is the Kingslayer, he wouldn’t even bait an eye before doing something so terrible” Cyel nodded to her friend’s words.

“Not even the Kingslayer would have been able to murderer a child” Ser Rodrick insisted.

“Oh, would he?” Theon said sarcastcally “I wonder”

“A Lannister as no quam of killing to achive their purposes” Cyel growled using her father’s words.

“Bran was too skilled” Maester Luwin said. Apparently everyone believed the lady’s words.

“Gods” Robb exclaimed with his face twisted in anger “If it’s true, they will pay for it” Cyel couldn’t agree more. “I’ll kill him myself” he swore swinging his new steel sword. Antea was immediately next to him telling her twin to put the weapon away. It was useless using it now, the Lannisters weren’t there.

“This dagger is a proof then, my lady” Ser Rodrick said, now admitting to believe her. Cyel was sure he just wanted to think rationally, but the prooves were too many to ignore them.

“Someone must go to King’s Landing” Lady Catelyn stated looking at the shining blade.

“I’ll go” exclaimed Robb, but the lady stopped him.

“No, your place his here” she was right, he was the lord of Winterfell, he couldn’t leave. The lady started to look at each of them, studing them, before speaking again “I’ll go myself” they all gasped at this.

“My lady is that wise?” Maester Luwin asked uncertain, but Antea step foward.

“She won’t go alone” she said “Because I’m coming with you” she was so determined, Cyel had never seen her friend like this “And Shadow will be with us”

“No, you are not coming, Antea” lady Catelyn said.

“You said Father and the girls are in danger” she answered with confidence “Robb can’t come so I will. The Lannister had already hurt one of my brothers they won’t touch someone else of our family. Let me help you stop them” Antea was angry, but she was so stubborn that no one would have ever made her change her mind. Robb was looking at her like she was crazy and he surely was hoping for his mother to refuse.

“Alright, Antea” the lady said “You can come with me”

Robb at that point step foward “No wait! You can’t go” he exclaimed “Not both of you” Cyel felt for Robb, he was truly in pain, another important part of his family was going away.

“Robb” Antea said putting her hands on her brother’s shoulders “You know that one of us has to go with mother. With Shadow with us we will be fine”

“Yes, but..” Robb argued with saddness in his voice knowing he couldn’t leave the North “What about Bran?” Antea looked down and the lady answered:

“I did everything I could. Bran is in  the Gods’ and Maester Luwin’s hands. And as you two reminded me, Robb, I have other children” Cyel could just immagine what the lady was going through, no one of her family was safe now, it was right for her to go. Bran wasn’t alone, and they would have come back soon for sure. They had to.

“Then I’ll sand Hallis and his guardmen with you” Robb said, but the lady shook her head.

“No” she said “We have to travel unnoticed, we can’t be accompanied by so many men” Robb bit his lips frustrated. Antea nodded to her mother, she clearly agreed with her.

“Then let me escort you” at Theon words everyone turned to him. He seemed impatient for an answer. Sometimes Cyel thought that Theon hadn’t just a crush on the young lady, he was truly in love with Antea, Cyel could see it in his eyes. He had never looked at other girls in that way.

“No, Theon” Antea said with a smile, clearly appreciating his bravery. The smile on Theon’s face fell in the moment those words left Antea’s mouth.

“Why?” He asked walking closer to her “I’m good with bow and arrows. No one will ever approach you, my lady, I won’t let them” he was pleading her with his eyes.

“I know you wouldn’t” Antea said sweetly “But I need you to stay here. Robb will need you” Theon looked at his feet before meeting Antea’s eyes again “He is too stubborn, you are the only one he’ll listen to when I’ll be away” Antea smiled encouraging to him “Can you do it for me?” they looked at each other for a moment.

“Anything” Theon answered bowing his head. Cyel looked at Theon who was now standing next to her, his eyes were sad but his posture hid it well. Antea was still looking at him when Ser Rodrick spoke:

“Then I’ll come with you” lady Catelyn nodded at the man.

“We won’t take the kingsroad” she stated looking at Antea and Rodrick “Go get ready, we leave today”

Everyone of them got out from the lady’s chamber and Cyel followed Antea in her room. The lady didn’t need to pack anything, she just had to change her clothes and pick another dress to take with her.

“Are you sure, Antea?” Cyel asked, already knowing that her friend would have never changed her mind, she was too angry to change her mind.

“That monsters” she growled “They won’t touch someone of my family again”

“I know you are angry” Cyel said, she would have left too, she would have even wrote to her father if she hadn’t swear not to tell anyone what they had found out “But if the lady is gone you’ll be need here” Robb and Rickon needed her, Bran needed her.

“They’ll be fine” Antea said turning to Cyel calmer then before “They won’t be alone. You’ll be here”

“Me?” Antea nodded her head.

“Of course, they all love you very much” she exclaimed “And I won’t be away long” said Antea rubbing her hands against her dress “I’m ready”.

The girl had chosen a plane grey dress without embroideries, it was the simplest dress she had. She made a wise choice, they had to be unseen during their journey.

Just a few weeks before Antea shivered just at the thought of going South, but now she had fire in her eyes, a fire that had never light her eyes in that way before. She seemed a grown woman to Cyel, now more than ever. The Starks women were truly brave.

“I’ll see you soon, my friend” Antea said hugging Cyel close “Make the boys behave, even Theon” Cyel laughed, her looking out for them wouldn’t be a problem, or at least she hoped. The one that she was most worried about was Rickon.

“Be careful on the road” Cyel said before letting her friend go, Antea smiled at her before walking out of the room. Surely she went to say goodbye to her brothers.

Cyel went to her room to check on her mother, but she found her asleep so she decided to pay a visit to Bran. She wouldn’t have been useful to Robb and Antea and she really wanted to see Bran.

Cyel set there, next to her friend and she looked at him. His direwolf was there laying next to Bran. How could Jaime Lannister have done something like that? She couldn’t believe that someone could have been so evil to do something so horrible.

Cyel had heard him, talking about Bran to lord Tyrion. She heard him say that it was better for Bran to die. Mercyful he said. A Lannister didn’t knew what mercy was, they never did. And Cyel regretted to not have heard to her father’s words closely. She wanted to believe that people could be good and she didn’t wanted to judge before knowing, maybe she had been too naive.

“I’m sorry” she muttered moving Bran’s hair from his forehead “I should have come with you” he wouldn’t have been on that tower if she had been with him and he would have been awake now. Cyel missed him, Winterfell was so quite without Bran’s laughs. She knew that the greatest danger had passed, but then why wasn’t he awake?

“Please, wake up” she whispered before the sound of knocking made her turn. On the door there was lady Catelyn. Immediately Cyel stood up and bow her head. The lady step in walking closer to the bed. She had come to say goodbye to her son.

“I’ll leave you alone” Cyel said, but before she could move away from the bed, Catelyn stopped her.

“No, stay” she said softly, before walking closer to Bran. She looked at him affectionately for a moment, before giving him a kiss on the forehead.

“I wanted to thank you, Cyel” the lady said turning to the girl “For that night. You didn’t save just my life, but Bran’s too” Cyel shooked her head.

“I’ve done nothing” she replied softly, before turning to the wolf laying on the bed “He is the one to thank” The direwolf tuned to the girl, who pet his head with a thankful smile.

“You apologized to Bran” the lady said after a moment of silence and Cyel immediately look down “Why?” Cyel didn’t want to answer, she didn’t want for the lady to know how she had let down Bran, but at the end she took a breath to take courage, before look at the lady again.

“I should have been with him” she said sadly “But I wasn’t” the lady looked at her, but in her eyes there wasn’t anger or dissapointment.

“It wasn’t your fault, Cyel, if that’s what worries you” the lady got closer to the girl “No one here blames you. And I’m more than sure that he won’t blame you” Cyel turned to Bran. She looked his empty eyes, so different from the ones she knew. She was glad to hear those words, but she couldn’t stop from feeling guilty. She was afraid she would have never stopped from blaming herself.

“You know, I’ve watched you” at the lady’s words Cyel turned to her “I’ve always watched the two of you together” a small sad smile appeared on the woman’s face “You were always so happy around the other. Your laughs echoed in the castle constantly. I’ve never seen him so happy with anyone else. And I know that for you is the same” Cyel felt her cheeks blush, she didn’t even know why “You’ve lost that special light in your eyes since it happened. I’ve noticed it… And my children too” then the lady looked Cyel in the eyes “You know why I’m telling you this?” Cyel shook her head softly. Then the lady took her hand.

“There is no one I trust more with my Bran then you” Cyel looked at the lady with surprise in her eyes “I know he is very special to you, as much as you are special to him. And that’s all Ned and I had ever wanted” at those words Cyel relized what the lady was telling her. They had chosen. It was Bran.

“But now I want to ask you something” Cyel looked at the lady again “And I want you to answer, not because of the promise between our countries, but because you are honestly sure you can keep this promise”

Cyel knew that what she would have to promise was about Bran, but even if she didn’t know what the lady was about to ask her, Cyel didn’t hesitate to answer:

“Of course, my lady” Catelyn squized Cyel’s hand.

“Bran’s life won’t be easy from now on” the lady voice cracked for a moment. She was right, Bran’s legs couldn’t move anymore. His life wouldn’t be like his brothers’s or any other young lord’s.

“He’ll need help” the lady added “Help him, protect him. Protect him from anything that feels like a threat.” Cyel looked her lady in the eyes, she didn’t want to be rush, but that promise sounded so easy to her. She had cared about Bran for all her life and now she wasn’t just his friend anymore.

“My lady” she spoke surprised to herself about how strong her own voice sounded “Bran had always been special to me and believe my words: I won’t ever let any harm come to him. I swear it, my lady” lady Catelyn smiled at her, a real smile, a natural one.

“Thank you” she said squizing Cyel’s hand more and some tears slipped from her eyes, but then she wipped them away.

“It’s time for me to go” Catelyn said  fixing the skirt of her dress “Farewell, Cyel” the girl bow at the lady as a goodbye. The lady smiled again, then she looked at Bran before turning to walk away.

“Be safe on the road” Cyel said before her lady could exit the room. Lady Catelyn looked at her affectionatly and nodded in silence, before closing the door behind her.

It had been two weeks since the lady and Antea had left Winterfell. Cyel spent her days with her mother and taking care of Rickon, but she spent all her free time sitting next to Bran. She talked to him, telling him what was going on around Winterfell; how Robb was becaming a lord everyday more, when people were around he didn’t joke anymore and Theon was trying to easy his mood, taking care of Robb in his own way. Everything was normal around the castle, even Bran’s birthday had passed. She almost hope he would have waken that day, but he didn’t.

Bran’s direwolf liked to have Cyel around, when she felt most sad he usally licked her hand or face. He hadn’t moved from that bed, never, and he always studied whoever entered the chamber.

It was evening and Cyel was in Bran’s chamber, sitting on her usual chair next to the bed. She had cut his hair some days before, he had never had it that long. A servant offered to do it, but Cyel insisted on be the one to do it.

“Do you want to hear a story, sweet lady?” Cyel looked at Old Nan. She was a very old and sweet woman, she had taken care of all of the Starks and she knew many stories. In those days she had kept company to Cyel, when she was alone with Bran.

“No, thank you very much” Cyel answered sweetly, the woman smiled at her “You should take rest” the girl added “It’s getting late”

“As you wish, my lady” Old Nan said before standing up “Goodnight”

“Goodnight” Cyel answered smiling at the woman and then she turned to her needlework, she was training with new embroideries to add to a dress that she was sewing for her mother.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly she heard Bran’s direwolf shift on the bed. Cyel looked at the door afraid of a new attack, that wolf was always so quiet, but no one ever entered. She looked again at the direwolf, that seemed to have calmed. Cyel was about to return her attention on the needlework, when she saw a movement. It was for a moment, but she was sure Bran’s hand had moved.

Immediately Cyel sit on the bed next to him.

“Bran” she said softly, but nothing. She bit her lip, sure of what she had seen. Cyel got closer to Bran’s face and she looked in his eyes. For all that time she had avoided to look his eyes for too much.

She was looking, searching for something, but nothing. She was about to give up when Bran bliked his eyes.

“Oh, gods” she whispered. He blinked again, like he was beginning to see again. Her heart was beating fast, afraid she was imagining everything, but then he seemed to realize who was in front of him.

“Bran” she said and he smiled at her. She immediately stood up and run out of the room.

“Guards!” She cried with tears in her eyes “Guards! Call lord Stark! Brandon is awake!” The guards at the bottom of the stairs run away in a moment “He is awake” she muttered to herself with a smile. She then run up the stairs and when se entered the room, Bran and his direwolf were looking at each other. It seemed like they were talking to each other, silently, in a way that just the two of them knew.

Suddenly Robb bursted in the room, with Theon close behind. He was about to say something, when Bran looked up to them.

“Summer” he said petting his direwolf “His name is Summer”


	10. Chapter 10

[ANTEA](https://www.google.it/search?biw=1280&bih=894&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=lady+marian+lucy+griffiths&oq=lady+marian+lucy+griffiths&gs_l=psy-ab.3...2290170.2295006.0.2295492.14.14.0.0.0.0.98.1121.14.14.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.97...0i8i30k1.zstdGLd-TCg#imgrc=0JzEw1HATy8LsM:)

Water, all around them there has been water for days. Antea had never seen the open water and she found it quite facinating. Theon Greyjoy had told her that the seas were beautiful, he remembered well the waters all around the Iron Islands. Winterfell was far away from the sea, the only water Antea had ever seen were the hot pools in the Godswood.

[Shadow](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9a/b4/a2/9ab4a29a6c8acf54cb26987f66afc545.jpg) didn’t like the sea very much, she preferred the woods and Antea agreed with her. The waters were beautiful, but the woods felt like home. She would have liked to ride all the way to King’s Landing, but by ship was faster and her mother wanted to arrive in the Capital before the King’s party. Before the Lannisters.

Antea just hoped she could have seen her father, but she wasn’t sure she would. She wanted to be sure that her family was fine.

Antea looked away from the sea and her gaze fell on her direwolf, she seemed almost sad. A night, almost around the Riverlands, she had found Shadow howling at the moon. Her song seemed a mourning one and Antea found herself crying, a desperate cry, like she had lost a brother or a sister. And she hoped with all her heart that it wasn’t like that, but she couldn’t know now. Nobody could write to her.

“We’ll be in King’s Landing within the hour” the voice of Captain Moreo Turnitis.

Antea could see the shape of lands not far from them, in not long she would have seen King’s Landing for the first time.

_Cassie, you should have talked about the South more,_ Antea thought. She had no idea of what was ahead of them, what she had to expect form the southeners. She didn’t know why, but the fact that her brother’s best friend never spoke to them about her home wasn’t a very comforting thought.

“Your oarmen had well by us, Captain” she could hear the polite voice of her mother “Each one of them shall recive a silver stag”

“Thank you, Lady Stark” the man anwered. Antea didn’t liked to let strangers know were they were heading, but Ser Rodrick said that they need Moreo’s ship, it was one of the fastest in all the Seven Kingdoms. Of course they hadn’t said what was the purpose of their travel, but Antea would have felt safer if no one had knew who they were. But it was her mother’s choice.

“But the plasure it’s all ours” the captain added “Having fine ladies like yourself and your daughter is all the reward we need”

“But you’ll take the silver anyway” her mother insisted, studing the man. So she didn’t trust him, either.

Antea focus her attention on Shadow again, she was set by her side and she looked at every person who passed near the young lady. Antea almost laugh everytime someone looked at her pup, their eyes were always wide and their mouth ajar and no one approached her when Shadow was around.

“Have you heard, baby” Antea said petting Shadow’s black fur and the pup immediately looked up “We’ll land soon” her tail moved happly and Antea smiled down at her.

“Someone is going to notice us, if she is coming” Ser Rodrick said gazing at Shadow, making Antea looked at him.

“Don’t worry” Antea answered “No one will notice a thing” she sounded almost proud. Sometimes Arya had asked her if she didn’t feel lonely, all her brother’s wolf were always with them and Shadow wasn’t, but the truth was that she had never felt abandonade by that pup, ever.

“The wolf is coming, Ser Rodrick” her mother said approaching them. Since Bran’s direwolf had saved him, her mother seemed to accept more the pups, way more than before.

“As you say, my lady” the man answered, then her mother stopped next to Antea, looking at the sea. The two of them hadn’t talked much since the beginning of their journey, they were still tense around the other. Catelyn had not forgotten what Antea said weeks before, it was clear. Antea didn’t apologize for her words, she didn’t know if her mother really meant the terrible things she said to Jon, but since she had never said otherwise, Antea never took her words back. But a part of her didn’t want to, it seemed like turn her back to Jon.

“The captain told me that the voyage is almost at an end” Catelyn said.

“So soon?” Ser Rodrick said almost happly. He hadn’t felt well during the journey, his face was pale but that day it seemed he was feeling better.

“Apologize, my lady” he said to Antea’s mother “I haven’t been the most valiant of protectors” Antea was about to smile, if he wasn’t feeling well it didn’t make him less valiant.

Men and honor, she thought rolling her eyes.

“We are here, Ser Rodrick” her mother replied “And safely, that’s what matter” Antea agreed with her, they were all alive.

“What now?” Antea asked crossing her arms over her chest. One of her mother’s hand was hidden behind her cloak, where she kept the Valyrian steel dagger. She often touch it, with her still wonded hand, Antea had noticed.

“We need to find the king’s master-at-arms and pray he can be trust” Antea eyes diverted on the sea at her mother’s words. Could they really trust anyone? Maybe it would have been better wait for her father, maybe he could have told them who to trust.

“Ser Aron Santagar is a vain man, but an honest one” Ser Rodrick said and then he looked at Catelyn with serious eyes “But once there, my lady, in the court, someone could reconize you on sight”

Her mother nodded “Littelfinger” she muttered with tight mouth.

“Who’s Littlefinger?” Antea asked with a frown studing her mother’s expression, she didn’t seem pleased at the mention of that name.

“Lord Baelish, my lady” Antea had never heard of that name.

“Is he important?” Antea asked looking her mother stir expression.

“He was my father’s ward” Catelyn explained “We grew up together. I’ve always seen him as a little brother, but his feeling for me were… more than brotherly” Antea  listened closer to her mother. If they had grew up together, why wasn’t she happy to hear his name?

Catelyn looked Antea from the corner of her eyes “When it was announced that I was to wed Brandon Stark, Petyr challenged him for my hand” Antea eyes widened.

“You had to marry uncle Brandon?” She exclaimed, she had no idea.

But her mother ignored her “Brandon was twenty, Petyr was fifteen. I had to beg Brandon to spare his life, and he did, but he left Petyr with a scar. After that my father send him away, I hadn’t seen him ever since” she lifted her face almost sad “He wrote to me after Brandon was killed, but I burn it unread. By that time I knew Ned would marry me in his brother’s place” Ser Rodrick nodded when Catelyn ended her story.

“You… were to wed… uncle Brandon” Antea repeated more to herself than her mother.

“Is it all you’ve heard Antea?” Her mother said with a strict tone.

“I’m just surprised” Antea argued “You’ve never told us”

“It wasn’t important” Catelyn said quickly. Antea parents had never told them what had happened before hers and Robb’s birth, not specifically anyway. It was just that Antea grew up with the idea of her parents always meant to be together, but it wasn’t like that. She wasn’t disappointed, just surprised. It was so easy to wed off children? Alliances were that important? More than sons and daughters’ happiness? Of course her mother was happy and in love now, but Antea could see pain in her eyes just by talking about Brandon again. Had she been happy to marry Ned? And had he been happy to marry Catelyn?

“I’ve heard Littlefinger sits on the small council” the small council was composed by the councelors of the king, her father would soon be sit among them as Hand of the king.

“I knew he would rise high” Catelyn said “He was always clever, even when he was a boy. He wasn’t wise though”

The three of them turned around and for the first time Antea saw King’s Landing. It was situated on hills, it went from the sea to the top of the hill, where of course there was the Red Keep, the castle of the Capital. His red stones shined under the sun. The air was very diffrent from the North’s, it was heavy and hot and Antea had to loose the knot of her cloak around her neck.

The city was more visible. There were inns near the shore and merchant’s stalls, taverns and what seemed brothels, but Antea diverted her eyes on those.

“My lady” Ser Rodrick spoke making Catelyn turn to him “I think it is best for you and lady Antea to not enter the castle”

“You will be in danger as much as we would” Catelyn argued, but the man laughed with his rugh voice.

“I’ll be fine, my lady. The time is passed and you can see it on my face, not even my mother would recognize me”

“And where should we go?” Antea asked, she hoped that her voice hasn’t been to harsh.

But before Ser Rodrick could answer, the captain walked towards her “King’s Landing, my lady, as you commanded. Will you need assistance to carry your things to the castle?”

Her mother smiled at the man “We are not heading to the castle” she said “Maybe you can suggest an inn”

The man indeed new a good place near the river. Before leaving Catelyn payed personally each man, like she had promised.

They left the ship and as soon as Antea’s feet touched the ground Shadow was already gone. A little smile appeared on the young lady’s face when she saw Ser Rodrick looking around, searching for the pup.

“Shall we go?” Catelyn said, before walking in the crouded streets of the Capital.

The inn were they were supposed to stay wasn’t far, but she had the opportunity to see the people of King’s Landing. They were all living their lives and children were running around, but something catched Antea’s eyes; there weren’t soldiers around keeping the ground safe and helping people.

Once at the inn, they went in the room that Antea would have shared with her mother. It was a small room, with a bed, a table and a chair, outside the window it was possible to see the river shinig under the sun.

Suddenly something moved against her leg, Antea smiled without looking down, amazed by how silent Shadow was.

“It’s better if you stay away from the common room” Ser Rodrick said “Even if it’s not the castle, we could never know who is watching”

Watching… Antea thought and without notice she looked around, like someone was there. She wasn’t used to all of that secrecy, and she wondered how her mother could be so calm.

“I’ll be back before nightfall with Ser Aron” Ser Rodrick added “Rest now, my ladies”

“Thank you” Antea said before the man could leave the room.

She then turned to see her mother sitting on the bed. Catelyn was silent and she looked around the room messaging her hands. Shadow set next to the lady sniffing her wonds, as if she was checking if they were healing.

Antea walked to the table and opened her bag, she moved her spare dress to find some peace of cloth. She then turned to her mother and sit next to her on the bed and she took one of her hands in hers.

“You need to change the bandages” she muttered, unwrapping the cloth around her hand revealing the deep cut on it. She couldn’t understand her mother sometimes, sometimes she was so fearsless, so kind and other times she seemed cold thinking just about duties and rights.

“You don’t have to” her mother whispered. Antea started to bandage her wond with the clean cloth.

“It will be easier for you” Antea replied.

Silence fall between them, then Catelyn spoke again “I’m sorry we are like this, now” Antea was focusing on her other hand, biting her lip “But I need you to trust me”

“I trust you, mother” Antea answered then she looked her mother in the eyes “I don’t understand you sometimes” Catelyn laughed bitterly, looking at the floor.

“You are young”

“I thought you said I was getting old” Antea said.

“Some things became rational in other times of your life” Catelyn said looking at the work Antea had finished on her hands.

“I don’t think I’ll ever find it rational” Antea replied getting up with the dirty cloths and walking to the table. Both knowing very well what they were talking about.

“I wasn’t rational, on some things anyway” Antea turned to her mother at those words. Then Catelyn rubbed her face before talk again “I need to rest” Antea nodded looking her mother laying down in bed. It didn’t take long for Catelyn to fall asleep, Antea was tired, but she preferred to stay awake if they were alone.

Shadow set next to Antea with her muzzle on her lap. Antea didn’t know for how long she had been sitting there petting her pup’s fur, but suddenly Shadow growled just before a knock came from the door. The knocking woken up Catelyn too, who set up immediately muttering to Antea to not talk, but whoever it was knocked again.

“Open, in the name of the king” Catelyn closed her eyes before answer.

“A moment” while Catelyn moved to the door, Antea noticed the Valyrian steel dagger on the bedtable and calmly she shield it with her body. Her mother opened the wooden door to reveal soldiers. They were wrapped in golden cloacks and their expression was strict. Why were they there? Had someone betrayed them?

“We need to escort you to the castle, my lady” one of them said to Catelyn.

“By whose authority?” Antea asked, careful not to move to much, but her tone was strict. Someone wanted to see her mother, she wanted to know who and let him know that her mother would not be moving without her.

The man looked at Antea before putting out from under his cloak a parchment. There was something on it, but Antea could’t see from were she was. Catelyn took the small stroll in her hands.

“Petyr” she muttered. Her mother’s friend? Antea looked her mother’s worried  expression, had something happened? Maybe Ser Rodrick needed help and he asked Lord Baelish for it.

“Do you know who I am?” Catelyn asked and Antea could feel something behind her, moving the skirt of her dress. The young lady didn’t look down, to not let the men notice Shadow.

“No, m’lady” he answered “M’lord Littlefinger said just to bring you to him, not mistreated” Antea looked closely at her mother, waiting for her next decision.

“Wait outside, I will be out in a moment” she said before closing the door and turning to Antea.

“You really want to go?” Antea asked with her arms crossed.

“I have to” the girl nodded at her mother’s words, she took the dagger in her hands and then she walked to her mother.

“Let’s go, then” Antea said.

“Antea” her mother whispered with her serious tone “I don’t trust this man”

“One more reason for me to come” Antea insisted “Mother I promised I would have helped you, I won’t stay behind” then she moved to the door waiting for her mother, who took a breath before approaching her daughter.

When Catelyn opened the door, the man looked at Antea.

“M’lord Littlefinger asked just for you” Antea fixed her dress.

“I don’t think he will mind” she said with a smile. The man seemed unsure but then Catelyn spoke.

“Shall we?” The soldiers moved and Antea carefully left the wooden door opened, for Shadow to follow.

This was going out of the plan, they wanted to be unseen while in the South and now they were riding surrounded by golden guards to the Red Keep. When they were near the gate the sun was setting and the lights inside the castle were already possible to see. They left the horses and the guards escorted them up on the steps of a tower. A door was on the top and when they opened it, Antea saw a short man and was very short for a grown man, her twin brother Robb was taller, his face was thin and on his chin there was a pointy black beard. His eyes were grey-green, shiny and clever eyes, he was slim, he didn’t seem a treat but still her mother didn’t trust him and Antea find herself quite agreeing with her.

“Cat” Antea frowned. His tone was very friendly for two people who hadn’t seen each other for years. And besides only Ned could call her mother Cat.

Littlefinger dismissed the guards and then his eyes travelled to Antea, he seemed surprised to see her there, like he had just noticed her.

“Is that your daughter?” He asked getting up, but Catelyn didn’t answer “She looks a lot like you, but not in the colours” it was just for a moment but his tone seemed almost disappointed. Antea studied every single movement of the short man, she didn’t like his eyes.

“Your hands…” he gasped walking closer to Cat, who ignored him.

“You can’t summoned me like a serving wench” Antea could’t help but widened her eyes, she had never heard her mother talk like that “Once you knew the meaning of courtesy”

“I’ve angered you, my lady, it wasn’t my intent” Antea kept studing him, he wore dark clothes and on his neck a mockingbird shaped fastening. If that was the banner of his house she didn’t know which one it was.

“How do you know we were in the city?” Her mother asked almost angry.

“Lord Varys” who? Antea thought as he spoke “He knows all and he will be here shortly. I wanted to see you alone, but I didn’t know that you would have bring your daughter”

“I thought you wouldn’t mind” Antea spoke for the frist time, stopping next to her mother “Since I’ve come to know you knew my mother”

“Not at all” he answered, then he looked at Catelyn, Antea didn’t like the way he was observing her mother “I didn’t know you’ve talked about me to your children, Cat”

“She didn’t” Antea answered shortly. The two of them looked at each othe in silence, on both their faces a fake smile.

“So it was the King’s Spider who found us” at her mother words Littlefinger turned to her.

“You don’t want to call him that” he warned with a vicious smile “He is very sensitive, but yes, he was the one to know. He has spies everywhere, his little birds he called them” another vicious lord to know, Antea thought. She had been there for less than a day and she already missed her peaceful North.

“And he came to you” Catelyn said suspiciously.

“Why?” Antea asked with a frown.

“Why not?” he exclaimed without stop smiling “I’m a councilor of the king after all”

“Does he know..”

“Varys knows everything” he interrupted Catelyn “Except why you are here” As if we are going to tell you, Antea thought, understanding the implied question.

“A wife can’t miss her own husband and daughters?” Her mother answered without esitation. But the man laughed.

“Don’t try to lie, Cat” he said “You are using your house’s words”

“Family, duty, honor” her mother stated solemnly. Those were the Tully’s words and now more then ever sounded like warriors’ words to Antea.

Littelfinger repeated those words “But that required for you to stay in Winterfell, where the Hand left you” Antea hands clanged in fists. What did he said about her father?

“No, my lady” he added “You are here for something much more important. I beg of you, let me help you” Antea wouldn’t even let him help her pick up something on the floor.

Suddenly a knock come from the door, making them turn. The man took a breath before invite to came in.

A plump man entered the room, his head bold and his body wrapped in purple, red and golden clothes.

“Lady Stark” he said with a bow “To see you is a cause of immense joy” then he took Catelyn’s hand in his “Your poor hands” but Catelyn took it away from his grasp.

“My maester Luwin had taken good care of them” the plump man turned to Antea.

“Lady Antea” he bow to her to “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Varys” Antea didn’t know how to replied so she just bowed her head.

“It was so sad to hear about little Bran” he said turning to Catelyn again “The gods are cruel sometimes”

“On that we agree” her mother said and Antea looked down for a brief moment, trying to put the sadness aside, she didn’t want to show it to them. She wanted to hid it like her mother was doing.

“Lord Baelish tells me that I have to thank you for bring me and my daughter here”

Varys giggled “I’m guilty, my lady, I hope you both can forgive me. Now I wonder if you could show us that dagger” mother and daughter looked at each other from the corner of their eyes. He really knows everything, first Bran, now the dagger. Unless wasn’t him the one who sent the killer, but would have he really talked about it if he was guilty?

“What dagger?” Littlefinger asked getting closer.

“My little birds listened to your master-at-arms, Ser Rodrick I believe, talking to Ser Aron of a certain dagger” Varys explained calmly, sensing their suspiciousness “Do you have the dagger with you?” Catelyn pull out the dagger.

“Here” she said “Maybe your little birds know whose this belongs to” she almost growled, Antea knew that her mother couldn’t wait to find whoever he was, Antea wanted that too.

Varys took it in his hands and he studied it, every part of it.

“Careful, it’s sharp” Catelyn said observing closely lord Varys.

“Nothing is sharp as Valyrian steel” Antea turned to Littlefinger at his comment and she saw him taking the dagger in his hands “Such a sweet balance. If you wanted answers you should have come to me”

“Is that so?” Antea said skeptically, looking at the man, who laughed.

“Of course”

“And if I did” Catelyn said “What would you have told me?”

“I would have told you that there is just a man who has such a blade in all King’s Landing” Jamie Lannister, Antea thought angrily “Me”

Antea eyes widened. Him?

“Yours?” Her mother said uncertanly. It didn’t make any sense. It was him? And he told them openly?

“Until the tourney for the Prince’s name day” he said nodding his head “See I backed Ser Jamie Lannister, like half of the court, but when he lost against Ser Loras Tyrell, I lost my knife” he explained simply. Whoever won that dagger wanted Bran dead.

“To who have you lost it?” her mother asked impatient to hear the answer.

Littlefinger smirked triumphantly “The Imp”

“Tyrion Lannister” Antea growled in anger.


	11. Chapter 11

[CASSIE](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/92/0e/27/920e27b54702a82e117d89aad56c145d.jpg)

“Up with that sword” at the umpteenth stab not diverted, Cassie took Freema’s wrist and pull it up “Up is here”.

She had been training with that girl for hours. That day all keepers of light had been paired up. The oldest were with the youngest and more unstable, the others had to train who was younger than them.

Cassie had been paired with Freema, according to lady Eloyse she was almost ready to go beyond the Wall, Cassie wasn’t sure. She wasn’t even able to stop a stab.

“But you are too fast” Freema said catching her breath.

“Sorry you are right” Cassie answered pretending to think “Oh you know what? Maybe you could try and say it to the wildling who’ll stab you in the head”

“Cassandra!”

“What?!” The girl turned to see Vyva, a Keeper of fourty, not far from her, shaking her head.

“I think is time for you to drink some water” Cassie passed an hand in her long black hair, before nodding with a forced smile.

“Of course” she said walking away. Cassie set with a growl next to the barrel full of cold water, her head in her hands, trying to calm herself. After a moment she felt two people sitting on each side of her.

“I can sense you are tense” the sarcastic voice of Wylly didn’t made her smile this time.

“It’s not about Freema, is it?” Rose said sweetly “Is it about Benjen?” Cassie growled.

Benjen had gone beyond the Wall, two days before, but he didn’t choose Cassie as partner, like he had always had. Cassie didn’t like that decision firstly because Ben was the man of the Watch that she worked better with and secondly because she was afraid that beyond that decision there was something more. Benjen had chosen Cinthya, one of the best old women among them. Well old.. She was thirty. But she was one of the most expert, one of the two Keepers that had gone beyond the Wall for the first time at nine years old.

Cassie had become very superstitious after her talk with Hydi, she couldn’t help but feel stupid. The Others didn’t exist, it wasn’t possible. But now everytime she talked or thought of the other side the thought of the Others came back in her mind.

“Or maybe it’s about your uncle” Cassie rolled her eyes at Wylly’s words.

Her uncle was still at the Wall, it’s been weeks now and he was still there and Cassie couldn’t stand him now more than ever. He ate with them, he walked where he wanted, he talked of things that nobody cared. She wanted to escape but she couldn’t, because she was sure he would have been there.

“Or maybe it’s about Jon” Cassie stood up.

“Don’t you have training to do?” She exclaimed and the two girls looked at each other with a smirk.

“You won” Wylliana said proudly to Rose, who smiled in victory. Cassie’s gazed move between the girls arching her eyebrows. They were having fun, she was glad.

“It’s not about Jon!” Cassie argued, but the girls just laughed “Alright, I’m done for today” she turned her back at them before walking away.

It wasn’t Jon Snow, not just him anyway. Her friends didn’t understand why she was so angry at him, Rose often told her to invite him to eat with them because he was always alone, but Cassie never did, they didn’t even talk and it wasn’t her fault if he hadn’t any friends. His actions spoke for themselves.

Cassie walked to the training fields of the Watch and her gaze fall on Jon Snow who was training with Pyp. They both wore the black armor where had already fallen a bit of snow. She studied Jon’s every move and it was easy to understand that Jon had been trained by a master-at-arms. He was winning and he seemed proud of it, but the others recruits looked at him with pure hate.

“He is skilled, it’s impossible to deny it” she rolled her eyes when she heard Tyrion’s voice.

“He is stupid” she said when Jon hit Pyp hard on the ancle making him fall on the snowy grownd with a loud cry.  Cassie shooked her head.

“He has defeated him, dear niece”

“If you think that way then you are more stupid than him” she said, her gaze was fixed when she heard Thorne calling for Grenn to train with Jon. Grenn was a boy of seventeen, Cassie had seen him train, he was slow, but he was bigger than Jon. The girl’s hands clanged on the wooden railing when Jon dodged Grenn’s attack, it was a strong one.

Tyrion shifted next to her “He may be stupid, but you care” Cassie looked him from the corner of her eyes, his uncle laughed “For a person so honest, you lie a lot” Cassie turned fully towards her uncle ready to say something when she heard a loud screem from the field. Her eyes came back at Jon, but he had won again and beside him Grenn was holding his wrist, twisted in a strange angle, pure pain on his face.

Jon had broken his wrist.

“Idiot” she muttered before storming away.

The Wall had brought out a side of Jon that she had never noticed, he was extreamly childish. An idiot child.

He had beated every recruit of the Watch with ease, umiliated them, and even being proud of it. He wasn’t being friendly with anyone, but not because he was shy. And then he got surprised when Thorne had given him the name Lord Snow. He acted like he had been forced to go to the Wall. She had talked to Wylly about the possibility for him to go back, since he was a volunteer, but she reminded her that once there, he was like all the others, he couldn’t leave. Ahead of him there were just the vows of the Watch.

Cassie went in the armory to gave back the training sword she had taken before. The armory wasn’t huge, but it was full of weapons, all of them without edge of course, the dangerous once were in another side of the castle.

“You are early today, m’princess” Cassie smiled at the voice of their blacksmith Donal Noye.

“I’m no princess” she answered turning to him “Not here, anyway” Donal Noye had been a blacksmith in Storm’s End, the castle of House Baratheon in the Storm’s Lands. Cassie had seen it and she had loved it. The walls were dark, not shiny like King’s Landing’s, and outside the waves of the see moved with costant fury against the rocks.

Ours is the fury.

She wondered if the words of house Baratheon had come from that water.

“How’s your father?” Noye asked taking Cassie’s sword in his hand.

“I don’t think you would recognize him” Donal had known Cassie’s father and apparently he had been the one to forge Robert Baratheon’s hammer, the one that killed Rhaegar Targaryen during the war. Even Noye had fought but he lost an arm, so even before Cassie was born he left the Storm’s Lands and went to the Wall, but he had always remained loyal to Cassie’s house and he always treated her gently, so she did the same.

A loud crash made them turn, Cassie followed the noise to arrive in one of the cells near the armory, she looked inside and she saw that Grenn, Toad, Wanker and another young man had surrounded Jon. Todder and the young man had stopped Jon twisting his arm behind his back.

“Was your mother a whore, lord Snow?” Jon soon freed his arm in rage and punched Wanker across the face. Cassie shooked her head.

“Boys and their games” she said stepping in the room. All of them stopped and turned to her, with different expressions on their faces. Wanker looked at her with anger, but he took a step back, Todder and the other man looked down, Grenn’s face was twisted strangely, probably because of the pain and Jon looked at her surprised.

“I’m pretty sure that you have to be on the field to fight” she added taking another step.

“It doesn’t concern you, witch” Wanker said making her smirk. Has he just called her witch?

Her hand move so fast that in a blink of an eye it was on his neck, everyone gasped at the scene before them. Cassie was looking him in the eyes, he was petrified by the fear. Her hand was trabling, begging her to reliese her power.

“Sometimes I think that it would be better to subjugate some of you” she said in a growl “To make the others understand how to behave” he was shaking under her touch “But then I remember you would die and even in a quick way” then she smiled “No, I prefer see you change your behavior slowly and painfully out in the cold” Cassie let him go and he seemed to breath again “Go in your cells!” She exclaimed and all of them moved to the door, when she noticed Grenn passing by she spoke again “Go to maester Aemon, he will help you with it” he nodded his head before exit the room. Turning she noticed that Jon hadn’t moved from his spot, they looked at each other before Cassie moved to the door.

“Thank you” she stopped at Jon’s words.

“What?”

“I just wanted to thank you, for helping me” he said again, she had almost hoped that he would have taken is mouth shut.

“You are an idiot” Cassie said walking to him, he frowned at those words “Whose do you think is the fault for this?”

“They are all jealous because I beated them” Cassie laughed at that and at how strongly he seemed to believe in it.

“Congratulations, son of a lord, for having beaten twenty farmers” she exclaimed “Do you think that here we are all up to beat the best of the class? You are not the first good sword Lord Snow”

“Don’t call me that!” He argued angrily.

“Why not?” She said in a challenging tone “It suits you. You don’t care about them, you don’t care of getting them hurt. You have skills for becoming a ranger” she admitted “But you are going to die on your first mission” he shook his head “No? Who do you think will cover your lordy ass out there?” How could he not see it? In Winterfell everyone loved the Starks because of how they treated their people. Hasn’t he learnt anything? Respect was all it was about, it wasn’t needed to love your companions, you just need them to trust you and for them to be trusted. Jon fought to win, not for training. If the edge of that sword had been sharp all the other recruits would have been dead. How could they become brothers in that way?

“You are a child” she said and he looked at her but he wasn’t angry, not for this at least “And maybe you realized it too” when she moved to the door he spoke

“Nobody told me it would have been like this”

“What did you expect, Jon?” Cassie asked calmly “That because your father is a lord they would have treat you better here?”

“You’ve never talked about the Wall, how it is like” he argued. Cassie’s eyes widened in anger.

“Don’t try and blame me” she said “You made a choice, it was yours. Nobody jumped with joy at your idea, but you didn’t care. Do you want to prove something, Jon? Proove that you are man enough to take your responsabilities” Cassie then stormed off of the room.

That idiot, that child! How dare he? If he hadn’t been so focus on cry after lady Catelyn now he would have been at home, were his real brothers needed him, where he had a life.

It was almost dinner time and that meant that she had free time. She set on the wooden steps watching the snow falling from the sky, dancing slowly in the wind. It was a calm night, the wind wasn’t blowing harshly and it wasn’t too much cold, for her skin anyway. Men of the Night’s Watch and Keepers of the light were talking and walking, everyone was calm and her eyes diverted on the wall of ice behind her. The Wall had been built at the end of the Long Night, she wondered how long the next winter would be since the summer had lasted almost eleven years.

“Sorry, if we angered you today” Rose said sitting next to Cassie “But you’re welcome for covering for you with lady Eloyse. If she asks, you had a terrible headache” Cassie smiled looking at her feet.

“It is not exactly a lie” she answered.

Silence fell between them “Cassie what’s going on? Wylly and I are getting worried” Rose asked “I know you don’t like talking about yourself, but this time there is something” she was right, Cassie hated to talk about her worries, she wouldn’t talk about how tedious having her uncle around was or the fact that one day they would have found Jon Snow stabbed in his bed.

“Do you believe in old stories?” Cassie asked suddenly.

“Depends on which” Rose replied  looking Cassie closer.

“Do you believe in the Others?” Cassie added looking Rose in the eyes, the girl eyes blinked in fear and confusion.

“I don’t want to believe in those” she answered honestly “Why?” Cassie didn’t know if it was wise telling Rose since she seemed so scared. Maybe she was scaring her over nothing.

“Just curious” Cassie answered shooking her head.

Suddenly quick steps and a joyful laughter echoed in Castle Black. Cassie stood up when she recognized Jon Snow. He was going down the stairs that lead to the Old Bear chamber.

What was he so happy about? Cassie wondered, looking at his big smile.

When Jon saw her, he run to her and hugged her. Cassie felt paralyzed unsure of what to do. He was laughing in her ear “He’s awake. The gods gave him back to us” Cassie eyes widened and looking him in the eyes she saw tears.

“Bran?” She asked carefully. He nodded without stop smiling. Cassie screamed in joy before trowing her arms around Jon’s neck and immediately he hugged her close again. She couldn’t believe little Bran was alive, she preferred not to think about him afraid he would have died.

Maybe the gods existed after all, Cassie thought. Then she broke the hug putting her hands on his shoulder, they looked in each other’s eyes with joy. She had missed smile with him.

“I’ve talked with Noye” he said “And you were right, I’ve been acted like a child” she laughed.

“Every man was a child once” Jon laughed too, then he turned. Cassie fallowed his gaze to see Grenn, looking at them. Well everyone was looking at them, even Thorne. Jon walked closer to Grenn, but he step back.

“Stay away from me, bastard” Cassie frowned, how could someone be so afraid of the shy and gentle Jon Snow? He really didn’t know how to make good first impressions.

“I’m sorry about your wrist” he said kindly, he hadn’t been that kind since he came at the Wall “Robb did the same to me with a wooden sword and it hurted like seven hells. Maybe I can show you how to devert it” Cassie looked proudly at him when she saw Grenn nodding lightly. Jon had understood that he needed to team up with those men not beat them.

“Lord Snow wants to take my place now” Thorne roared in a laughter. Cassie rolled her eyes ar his comment. How come no one had ever stabbed him in his bed?

“I would have an easier time teaching a wolf how to juggle, than you teaching him how to fight” were they supposed to laugh at this?

“I’ll take that wager, Ser Allyser” Jon said “I’d love to see Ghost juggle” Cassie eyes widened while everyone around them gasped. Silent fell. Only a laughter was heard and it came from her uncle Tyrion’s mouth. When Tyrion started laughing soon he was joined by all the men and women around.

Cassie would have laughed too and maybe even be proud of Jon, if Ser Allyser wasn’t so vicious and his master-at-arms.

Thorne eyes never left Jon, his hands curled into fists “That was a grievous error, Lord Snow” he said while everyone was still laughing. He had never been mistreated by his men.

What the fuck, Jon, she thought looking at her friend next to her.


	12. Chapter 12

[ANTEA](https://gratianads90.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/kiralin-islucygriffiths-asladymarian-inrobinhood2epi02_pix057oct0513ranet-crop-hi-res-bkgrnd-clr-flip.jpg)

It had been few days since Antea and her mother had found out that the dagger belonged to the Imp. Antea damned that little man, him and all of his kin. Maybe he wanted Bran dead to protect his brother the Kingslayer. Catelyn still believed that Bran has been thrown out that window by Ser Jaime Lannister and Antea thought the same.

My prayers are with him, he had told her once.

Antea's eyes were fixed on the road visible from the window of the inn. Near her the dagger was shining and for the first time she wished for someone to be dead. Her eyes stung by anger and fear by her own thoughts. Does she really wanted the Imp to die? She wanted justice. But her hands trumbled when she realized that she would have liked to kill him herself.

That’s not me, she thought with tears in her eyes.

She wanted Robb there with her hugging her and telling her everything would be alright and making silly jokes he had heard from Theon. Silly but they had always made her smile, like the Greyjoy boy. She wanted to sing and praying to the gods with Sansa. She wanted a hug from Rickon and to ride with Arya. Talking till late night with Cyel and feeling the ressuring presence of her bastard brother Jon Snow, always quiet but always there. She wanted her sweet brother Bran awake and smiling.

“Antea, are you alright?” Antea rubbed her eyes, at her mother’s question.

She wanted to go home, she just wanted to be in Winterfell, not in that place full of strange people, who know everyone’s moves and secrets. She wanted her father and feel safe again.

“Just thinking” Antea answered not turning to her mother, afraid to let her down by her behavior. She had to be brave, brave like Robb.

Shadow was next to Antea, sitting next to her against her leg, nuzzling her nose on her when Antea felt sad or angry.

“Have you eaten?” Ser Rodrick had brought breakfast, beacon and sausages and even a fried fish. Antea had barely eaten her beacon, her stomach was twisted in a costant knot.

“A bit” she said “I’ll eat leater”

“Later is now” her mother said in her serious tone, the one that was able to stop even Robb from laughing “Come eat with me” Antea turned to her mother, her auburn hair tight in a braid, her dress was plain and blue, there was no sigil on it; not the direwolf of the Starks nor the fish of the Tullys. Her hands were still wrapped in bandages, that Antea changed every time she could, but her two last fingers had still trouble to move because of the cut.

They ate together, set next to each other on the bed. Antea almost laughed. Her mother never wanted for her and her brothers to eat in bed, once she repruved Ned for letting them have lemon cakes. They were so young at that time, Rickon wasn't even born, Theon and Cyel had just arrived and Ned spent all the day with all of them because it was Sansa’s name day and he told them stories. Antea remembered how Robb and Jon pretended to be the knights in that stories making them laugh. Even Bran that couldn’t even talk at that time, had laughed looking at them.

A knock came from the door and Antea looked her mother who put an hand on her leg.

“Who is it?” Catelyn asked.

“It’s me, my lady” the voice of Ser Rodrick calmed Antea and she looked her mother standing up and opening the wooden door. Antea looked at Ser Rodrick, he was wearing a poor brown cloth with crimson cape, like many people in King’s Landing. She wouldn’t have recognize him if she hadn’t known him.

Behind Ser Rodrick there was a little man with a dark pointy beard on his chin and green-grey clever eyes.

Littlefinger.

“Cat” he said stepping in the room bowing with a grin.

“Petyr?” her mother frown standing up “Why are you here?” The man’s smirk never left his face as he walked closer to Catelyn.

“Believe me, you’ll be glad I’ve come to you” he said closer to her mother. Antea was about to move when a loud growl echoed in the room. Everyone turned and saw Shadow came out, pacing the room. She walked with her golden eyes fixed on the little man, her teeth weren’t bared but her posture suggest to Littlefinger not to come any closer.

The man followed Shadow's every move with wide eyes and the wolf did the same to him positioning herself between Catelyn and Baelish.

“Is that a wolf?” He asked.

“Don’t be afraid, Lord Baelish” Antea said moving foward, stopping next to her mother “She attacks only when she’s told to” the man looked at her, studing the young lady with his green-grey eyes. Littlefinger looked at her in a completly diffrent way than he did with her mother and Antea didn’t know how to feel about him. She couldn’t understand his gaze on her, but she understood too well the one he gave to her mother.

“Lady Antea” he said with a viciuos smile "Had the air of the South riled your grey eyes?"

"You have no idea, lord Baelish" Antea answered without diverting her eyes from the man before her.

"Why are you here, Petyr?" her mother asked again, making the both of them to look at her.

"I just wanted to inform you that the Hand is about to arribe in King's Landing"

Her mother's eyes light up "Ned…".

On Antea's lips appeared a smile. Her father had arrived, they could have seen him. She wanted to meet him, Antea had missed her father so much and maybe she could have seen her sisters too.

"Can you bring him here?" Catelyn said with hope in her voice.

"No" then why was he even there? Antea thought. Littlefinger was a strange man, she couldn't undertand him. "Bur I can bring you to him, my lady" he added with his usual grin "There is a secret place where you won't be followed and I'll bring the Hand to you personally" her mother smiled at him, full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Petyr" Catelyn said taking the cloak an the dagger "Let's go Antea"

"I can come with you?" Antea asked to be sure she heard her correctly.

"Of course" Catelyn said with a joyful smile "Don't you want to see your father?"

Antea smile was so wide to shown all her white teeth "More than anything in the world"

The young lady pet Shadow's head before following her mother out the door behind Littlefinger. She didn't like the man, but maybe he honestly wanted to help them. If not why bring them to her father?

They left the inn, but they didn't take the main road. The walked through the inner streets. There were fish markets, Antea had seen those rarely, in Winterfell the fish was brought from other parts of the North. There were blacksmiths' emporiums, she liked those with the newest armors and weapon forged, at home Mikken was their blacksmith, her brothers and Theon usually went to him to see his new works. Here even armors and weapons weren't simple, still beautiful without doubts.

The Northners weren't people who loved splendorous things, they like simpleness. Antea remembered the first time she saw Cyel's dresses, full of embroideries and jewles, and her hair with hairbands or flowers or pearls. People looked at her strangely at first, so colourful and different. It was easy to understand that she was from the South of the Neck. Antea liked Cyel's dresses but she wouldn't feel at ease wearing them.

The streets weren't dark, nor even empty but she noticed that there weren't children. There were mostly people who were working, too focused on what they were doing to pay attention to them.

"Leave your dog behind was a clever choice" Littlefinger said "It's not a very quiet pet" Antea was about to answer but Ser Rodrick talked instead "I wouldn't worry about that, my lord" the youg lady and the master-at-arms looked at each other before smile.

The four of them turned a corner and Antea stopped when she saw the place before her. A stone building, with a huge wooden door and a red oil lamp hunging on its side, men  entered with huge grins on their faces. Catelyn was looking at the building too before Littlefinger stopped before the door.

"Shall we?"

"A brothel?" Her mother asked skeptically. Antea crossed her arms over her chest while men walked past them, eyeing the two women. She felt uneasy, couldn't they stay at the inn?

"No one will looked for fine ladies in here, not of your kind anyway" Antea shook her head at his grin but she followed her mother inside without a word.

The place was full of rooms and thankly where they walked they were all closed. Her mother was close to Antea like she was trying to protect her, and the girl couldn't wait to enter in a room far away from there. Ser Rodrick had been told to wait outside, her mother was wise, she told him that Ned would have never entered there without prooves they were inside and only Ser Rodrick could have convinced him.

"Here we are" Littlefinger said opening the door of a room "You'll be staying here until my return" the room was small and thankfully there was no one in there.

"Is this a study or something?" Antea asked wide eyed, there was no bed, just a table with parchments on it and chairs.

"It's mine" Antea turned to him. He own a brothel? What kind of man can own something like it? A growl was heard and the three of them turned to the corner of the room, from under a crimson curtain Shadow come out and positioned herself between the ladies and the man, who looked at the wolf without words.

"How could it..?" Shadow must have slipped inside before the door was closed. Antea looked at her pup proudly before grinning at Littlefinger.

"Petyr, please go take Ned" her mother said eager to see her husband and leave that place.

"Of.. Of course Cat" he said bowing before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

He was helping them, but Antea wasn't sure of what to think of a man who run such a business, especially a lord.

Lords frequently met women of that sort, not all lords were loyal to their wives like her father. Well, her father hadn't always been loyal to her mother. Was it possible that his father had come in such a place? Was it possible that Jon's mother was a woman of that business?

"That's why you hate Jon?" Antea asked suddenly making her mother turn to her "Because maybe his mother is a…"

"I don't care who his mother is" Catelyn replyed shortly and Antea frowned. The idea of her father in a place like that hurted her. Could her father use a woman like that? Antea thought before that her mother's behavior towards Jon was because he was the proof of Ned's bethrayal, but maybe it was even because her mother didn't want a man like that with her and maybe that was why he never went to another brothel again. But then how could she not care?

"Why?" She asked, her mother took a breath.

"He was young and at war" Catelyn spoke "And we barely knew each other"

"But then why..?"

"Not now, Antea" Catelyn interrupted her. She justified Ned but not Jon, why? Why did she hate Jon even though she didn't even want to know who his mother was? She couldn't understand.

They set in silence for an hour or so. Antea pet Shadow's fur while her mother looked eagerly at the door and then back at the dagger. It was afternoon and even Antea couldn't wait to see her father, soon the negative thought she was having had been thrown aside, she just wanted to see him. He was an honorable man he had proved it everyday and he had always treated everyone gently, she decide not to care about the past.

The door suddenly opened to reveal her father. Ned was there with his grey eyes looking at them to be sure they were actually there. Antea stood up and run into her father's arms, the man immediately hugged her close, giving kisses on her hair and on the side of her head. She had missed his hugs so much and the comfort they gave, like he did when she was just a baby and had a nightmare. Then he broke the hug before looking at Catelyn. Her parents looked at each other in silence but with tears in their eyes.

"My lady" he muttered before Catelyn run straight into his arms, they hugged close never wanting to let go. Antea looked at them with a smile, while Shadow run around them waving her tail happly.

"Oh good" Littlefinger said making Antea glance at him "You've recognized her" why was he even here, that was a Stark moment.

But her parents didn't seem to have noticed him "I was afraid you would never come, my lord" her mother said "Petyr told me what have happened to the girls" Antea looked down. Littlefinger had told them that Prince Joffrey got hurt by Nymeria. The direwolf had gone and the king had ordered the death of Lady. She couldn't believe that they made her sisters loose their wolves. When she had heard the news she inderstood why Shadow had been so sad. She had lost a sister. Lady was the gentlest of their direwolf, she didn't deserve to die.

"How are they?" Antea asked in concern. Ned who still held Catelyn to his side took her daughter's hand "Both in mourning and angry" Antea nodded saddly, she didn't know what she would had done if someone had taken Shadow away from her.

"Cat, I don't understand" her father said "Why are you both here?"

"It's about Bran" Catelyn said but looking at the dread face of her husband she was quick to add "But not what you think"

Her father seemed confused "Then.. Why are you here, my love?" Then his eyes travelled to Catelyn's hands "You've been hurt" he took her hands in his own full of worry "Gods they are deep" he looked quickly at Antea to see if she was hurt too, but she just shook her head "How did that happened?"

Her mother took the dagger and started to explain what had happened the night of the attack. And his father seemed lost and angry. Catelyn then told him about how Bran's direwolf had saved her life and Cyel's and then who that dagger belonged to.

Her father slammed the dagger on the table "Why should Tyrion Lannister want Bran dead?"

"You Stark have nothing but snow between your ears?" Littlefinger said making Antea took a long calming breath "The Imp would have never acted alone"

Her father was pacing the room in anxiety, he said that he was afraid that if the queen had something to do with this maybe even the king. Antea hoped not, the king was her father's best friend, could he really have done something like that? If he was friend with Jaime Lannister maybe he had wanted to help her wife's twin, but king Robert didn't seem so in love with his wife.

"It is most likely the King doesn't know" Littlefinger spoke again "It wouldn't be the first time" perfect, Antea thought "Accusing the king means treason and doing it without prooves means death" the man added.

"Isn't the dagger a proof?" Antea asked crossing her arms.

"That?" Littlefinger said "Without doubt the Imp will say he lost it in Winterfell. No, Stark" he turned to Ned "My council is throwing it in the water and forget about it" Antea frowned. What kind of council was that? Wasn't giving good advises his job?

Her father looked at him coldly and angry "My son lays crippled in his bed, he could have died and my ward and my wife with him if it wasn't for his wolf pup. If you think I'll forget about this dagger you are a big fool now as when you took the sword against my brother" Antea couldn't stop of feeling proud of her father, she had never saw that side of him.

"You wound me deeply" Littlefinger said with fake hurt "I always found you Stark tiresome a lot" his eyes fell on Antea too for a quick moment "But Cat seemed to have become attached to you, even if I don't understand the reason. Then I'll try to keep you alive for Cat's sake" Antea looked at the man closely at those words. He better help my father, she thought. She couldn't bare the thought of her family in that place.

"Can we have a moment?" Her mother asked to the man who bowed his head.

"Very well, but be quick. The Hand has to return to the castle" but before he could exit the room Catelyn stopped him.

"I won't forget the help you gave me. When your men came for me I didn't know whether trust you or not. But now I know I found more than a friend. I found a brother"

"You are too sweet, my lady" Littlefinger said "But don't tell anyone. I have a reputation"

"You have my thanks as well" her father said and little man grinned.

"That's a new" he said before exiting the room.

Ned turned to Antea and caressed her cheeck affectionatly.

"You've come with your mother" he said "I'm proud of you" Antea blushed with a smile.

"She is very brave, Ned" when her mother spoke those words Antea turned to her. Her mother was smiling at her and she found herself doing the same.

Ned then turned to Shadow and pet the fur of her head "And thank you too, for keeping my girls safe" Shadow's tail moved happly and she licked Ned's hand. Antea's parents's smiled.

Antea looked at them, beautifully together. They truly loved each other. They were close to one another and they seemed so happy. Her mother hadn't been so happy in a long time, since the king and his family had come in Winterfell.

"It's time for me to go" She said suddenly.

Her parents looked at her like she was crazy "Where?" Her father asked.

Antea laughed at their reaction "Back to the inn. You need to stay alone for a bit"

"It's not safe, Antea" Catelyn argued worried.

"Shadow is with me" hearing her name the direwolf stood up "Nothing will happen".

Ned pet the wolf pup's head "These direwolves are truely a bless" Catelyn nodded her head and Ned smiled sadly at Shadow, maybe thinking about Lady and Nymeria.

"I don't want for you to come in the South anymore" Ned said as Antea moved closer to him "Not another of my children will be in danger"

Antea felt relived by those words, she hadn't have to leave Robb and the North anymore, but another part of her was concern of leaving her two sisters.

"I'll see you soon" Ned said before Antea threw her arms around her father's neck.

"I love you, father" he laughed lightly and kissed her temple.

Before exiting the room Antea looked at her parents hugging once again. They truly loved each other and she couldn't stop thinking at how lucky they had been to have found each other.

Antea walked quickly out the brothel and she found herself in the street. The inn wasn't far from there and she remembered the way well. Antea had always had good memory and she had never got lost, not even when she was a child.

The sun was beginning to set and in King's Landing people were still working. The air was hot even now, too hot. Antea had to take off her cloak from her shoulder. Shadow had already hidden, but every once in a while Antea could see her, like she wanted to let her know she was there.

The river wasn't far from were she was and she got lost in the light given by the movements of the waves, when suddenly someone bumped into her, causing the cloak to slip from her hands.

"I'm sorry" a tall boy of her age, with black hair and broad shoulders kneeled immediately to pick the cloak up. As soon as he looked up Antea saw his blue eyes and she frown in surprise. They seemed so familiar.

He looked shyly at her staring and quickly she talked "No, it doesn't matter. Thank you" the boy nodded before walking pass her. Antea followed the boy since he disappeared into a blacksmith's emporium. That guy seemed strangely familiar, especially his eyes. But how could he? Antea shook her head, that boy was from the South, he surely had never been in the North.

When Antea turned she met Shadow's golden eyes. Her pup was hidden under a merchant's table.

"Let's go, Shadow" she said "Let's go home" and she walked down the street through the inn.


	13. Chapter 13

[CASSIE](http://i44.tinypic.com/2hqbg61.jpg)

Snow, only snow before her eyes.

Cassandra Baratheon had spent the last four nights watching from the other side of the Wall beneath her. She changed her shift the night her uncle Tyrion finally left for the South. Jon had even told her that the man had been looking for her. Funny she couldn't move on shift but her uncle's feet were free to do whatever it pleased them. Not that Cassie cared to not have said goodbye to him.

Come on Ben, Cassie thought wondering where her friend had gone. He and his party had been on the other side for too long. Some missions were longer than others but never that long. She had been looking the snowy ground beneath her and turning at every movement of the trees, but nothing.

He said he saw… the Others, Cassie shooked her head when Hydi's words echoed again in her head. Those were just stories, just stories. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be.

"Worried about sonething, Cassandra?" the girl turned to see Vyva behind her. The woman was tall, not tall as Sandor Clegane of course, but very tall for a woman. Her long blond hair tight in a braid that fell over her shoulder and her grey eyes always wandering on the girls. Vyva was the one who checked that the girls didn't lose their control. None of the girls had ever been took over by the Fury in centuries, just shaking hands and subjugating someone accidentally. But Vyva was the one, with Lady Eloyse, who gave the permission to took away the gloves.

"No at all, miss" Cassie answered shortly looking back at the snowy world before her. Beautiful, everyone thought that that peace of land was beautiful from up there.

"You are a mistery, Cassandra Baratheon"

The girl frowned at those words "I fail to see why" she wasn't that complicated.

"You like to keep everything from yourself" Vyva said walking closer to her "And your power never slip from your control. Your hands had never even shaken, not even as a little girl" that was true, Cassie had never had problems in controlling her powers, that's why she could took off her gloves at seven. She hadn't heard of problem of that sort when she was a babe not even in King's Landing. And at the Wall she had never subjugated someone by error, not once.

"Girls here said that you just don't feel anything" Vyva added "But since Jon Snow has arrived here I see something in you, something I thought was lost" Cassie looked the woman from the corner of her eyes. Those girls were stupid. Of course she had feelings, she was human but it had nothing to do with Jon Snow.

"Maybe if you don't shake it's because you are not afraid of anything? Is it possible?" Cassie turned fully to her. Was she stupid too? What kind of question was that? She should know…

"What were the words you always said?" Vyva looked down trying to remember "Never… Never surrender nor… Retreat?"

"It is victory or death" Cassie finished for her. Those were words used by House Baratheon. Her young uncle Renly told them to her, he said that Baratheon were strong and those words remembered it to them.

"It's wonderful how strong you are" Vyva said with a gentle smile "But being strong doesn't mean that you are invincible. Everyone has a breaking point"

"Is my shift ended?" Cassie said crossing her arms over her chest. The woman nodded in surrender "It is"

"Good day, miss" Cassie said walking away. She really wasn't in the mood for lessons.

It was time to break their fast and Cassie yawned while the wooden lift was bringing her down. The previous day she could sleep but that day she had to train with the new recruits of the Watch, starting to get an idea of which one of them could become rangers.

The loud noise of the lift made her head hurt, she really needed something to eat.

When she opened the wooden door of the main hall, all men and women were there sitting and chatting loudly. She spotted Jon sitting with his friends. After he started to act more like Jon Snow than his childish self, people had started to like him. Pyp was always by him and agreeing at everything Jon said and Grenn seemed to act calmly since they had become friends. But they weren't the only ones, more or less all the recruits loved Jon Snow.

At the table with them, laughing at a Pyp's joke there were even Rose and Wylly. Cassie looked at them before walking to the cook table.

"Cassandra" Donar, the cook, greeted her.

"Morning" she said rubbing her blue eyes with an hand.

"Tired, are we?" He joked. Cassie took her ration from his hands.

"Tired, me?" She said with an half smile "You insult me" the man laughed.

"You are in a better mood lately" Cassie scrolled her shoulder and then turn back to walk to the table where Jon and her friends were sit. They were all laughing and at her approaching the laughters stopped. Jon turned his head and when he saw her a smile appeared on his face.

"Cassie, hi" he said sliding aside to gave her room to sit.

"Hey" she said "Is it alright with your friend if I sit?" Her gaze fell on the boys. Jon frowned while Rose and Wylly smiled at her sweetly.

"Are you kidding, princess?" Pyp said standing up with a smile "We just thought that the other day was a one time thing" the boys nodded at Pyp's words "But we are more than happy to have you here among us" Cassie laughed at the way he spoke, so solemnly. Pyp was a real storyteller.

"Come on, Cassie, sit" Cassie looked at Jon sitting next to him.

"Having Ghost gave you confidence of how to speak to a girl, Jon Snow" she ruffled his hair, like she always did and everyone laughed in surprise. Jon looked at their expressions and frowned while Cassie just ignore them.

"You call her Cassie too" Rose said with a smile and Jon nodded.

"No one call her like that here but us" Wylly said taking a bait of her meal.

"I've always called her Cassie" Jon answered simply, the frown never leaving his face. Jon Snow hadn't just always called her like that, he had been the first one. Him and Robb. Robb said that Cassandra was too formal a name for her and Jon came up the name. No one called her Cassie but the Starks and her two friends at the Wall.

They ate laughing and Cassie found more and more the guys' presence very pleasant, now she understood why her friends spent time with them. They were funny and easy to talk to.

Jon pushed in front of her his cup of warm milk and she turned to him surprised "You are tired" he said with a sweet smile "You always need much milk when you are sleepy"  Cassie looked at him, for a moment she saw the little five year Jon Snow smiling shyly to her. She remembered how curious she was about this quiet kid, he seemed a mistery to her, so she started to ask him unnumerable question, even stupid ones like his favorite colour and food. He didn't answer right away and she left him even a bit annoyed, but the next morning he approached her and said "Grey, my favorite colour is grey" since that day there wasn't a moment they spent a part.

"I'm a big girl Jon Snow, I can take care of myself" she said standing up when she heard the bell "But I'll take the milk anyway" Cassie heard him laughing when she walked away with Wylliana and Rose.

They went outside, Wylly had to train with different weapons, so she wouldn't have been with them at the Watch's field, but Rose was with her and Cassie was glad, Thorne would have been there too she couldn't resist alone.

"It's good to see you happy" Rose said "You hadn't smiled this much in years" Cassie scrolled her shoulders taking the daggers from the armory.

"I'm always happy" the girl replied "When my mother is not around" Rose shook her head at her words with a knowing smile.

"Don't" Cassie said walking out of the armory.

"I've done nothing" Rose said laughing "You are doing all by yourself" Cassie stopped to turn to her "I may got used to him being here, but I'm not happy about it"

Rose rolled her eyes "Sure"

Cassie still hated that Jon was there, but he easied her mood. That was all.

They arrived at the field. The men were already outside with their black armors and edgeless swords. That day it wasn't snowing but the cold wind blew against them. Cassie hair moved in the wind. She never tight them, she liked it free better, to feel it on her shoulders. Rose had a side loose ponytail, to keep her lightly curly hair in order. Looking around Cassie noticed Derya Rowen not far from there. Her hair in a messy bun and in her hand the spear. The girl walked towards Cassie bumping her shoulder when she passed by. Cassie stopped taking a breath.

"I'm so going to kick her ass one day"

Rose laughed quietly "You've already done that" Cassie smiled at her friend before getting in line with the other Keepers. Thorne walked towards them, his watering eyes looking all of them, studing the better way to make their lives miserable.

"I didn't decide who to make you watch, it was your Mathriarc" he said bitterly, but Cassie was relieved about it, less problem that day.

"Softy" he called out at Rose "With that group" Rose walked away without even looking at the man and Cassie saw her talk with the recruits. She had never had problems on being friendly.

Thorne call out other three girls before calling for Cassie "Princess" he said "Your Matriarch loves you, she put you with your prince, Lord Snow" Cassie glared at a couple of girls next to her that immediately stopped giggling. And without a word she walked towards Jon's group. With him there were Grenn, Pyp, Daeron, Halder and Wanker, whose name Cassie learnt was Rast.

"Princess!" Pyp greeted her with a drammatic bow.

"You are training with us?" Jon asked with a smile.

"I hope not" Grenn said before turning to Cassie "No offence, my ass still hurts"

"None taken" Cassie said waving her hand "And don't worry, I won't be that hursh this time" the guys seemed relieved by her words and Jon frowned.

"They spoke as if you are unbeatable" Cassie scrolled her shoulder at his words "But I did it in Winterfell" as soon as those words left his mouth all the guys started to laugh, except Wanker.

"No, you didn't" Pyp said weaping his eyes that was watering because of laughter. Jon glared at him confused.

"Alright, guys, enough" Cassie said putting her hands on her hips "Let me see what you can do"

She had to admitt that that group wasn't bad. Some of them acted already as a team. Jon had skills, more than the others, he was capable to understand with a glance who he had before him and how to beat him. Ser Rodick did a good job on him even with just wooden swords, she had to admitt. Grenn and Daeron were similar, tall and strong. It was easy to see that those two wouldn't have problems with the cold weather, but Grenn got angry too easly and Daeron was slow, too slow for a wildling. But some more training and a good and patient Keeper with them would have do good. Pyp was slim and short, she wouldn't have bet nothing on him before seen him training. He was fast and careful to all his companions, he would have been a good catch beyond the Wall. Cassie almost stabbed herself when she saw that even Wanker was good at fighting, but still a fool. He may go beyond the Wall, but if he was paired with her probably they would try to left each other behind.

They trained for a couple of hours and Cassie even started to gave them tips on movements and weapons. And she even started to have fun.

"When you are in pairs" Cassie explained to the young men before her "It's important cover each other's back" she was next to Daeron "Try to fight the battle as you want, where you want. And out there you'll want to be with your group, especially with the Keeper paired with you" Cassie was looking each of theirs faces.

"Why do they pair us?" Halder asked.

Cassie turned to him "There are women with our powers among the Wildlings. Some of them were Keepers here at the Wall once. No one knows how a Keeper fights better then a Keeper"

"And how do you fight?" Wanker asked, he still hadn't seen them, he had come at the Wall with Jon. Too soon for them to see.

"You'll see" she promised before turning again to the others "We'll cover your back with them. And if one of you get subjugated, run. But if it happens to one of us, run faster. Believe me on that" her eyes fell on Jon, wondering if he would ever loose is coscience because of someone like her. It was something that had never crossed her mind, thinking about him and his brothers safe behind the walls of Winterfell. Why he had to come?

"Alright" she said focusing on the topic again "Now… Grenn with me, the others attack us. Remember, we have to work in pair to…"

"Seven gods!" Daeron exclaimed looking behind Cassie's shoulders "Look at this"  when she turned she see a very fat young man approaching them along side with Thorne. He was surely older than Cassie by two years maybe, he had pale scared eyes and his plump fingers were holding uncertanly a sword.

Cassie's eyes fell on his other arm as Pyp whispered to Jon "A lordling. From around Highgarden, I think" Cassie was impressed, because he was actually right. The plump guy hold on his other hand a shield and engraved on it there was a striding huntsman and the same banner was on the scarlet thread assuring his furcoat around his big shoulders.

A Tarly at the Wall. She frowned, and not just a Tarly, but the eldest son. Something like Simon his name was. She had saw him once, paying a visit to lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill. Cassie was eight at the time and she remembered just this plump shy boy, who barely spoke and never train even if he already was of age. Years hadn't changed him he still was the same, not a warrior. What was he even doing there?

"It seems like they run short of thieves and murderers in the South, now they send us pigs to man the Wall" a new victim for Ser Alliser Thorn "And all dressed up, uh Lord of Ham?" Thorne than send him to Noye to find his new black armor. Cassie followed his steps while he went away, wondering what a future lord could have done to be sent in such a place.

The guy took a couple of hours before coming back, but he did.

"Let us hope you are not as inept as you look" Thorne said in his vicious amused tone, that all of them knew even too well. Cassie could see Jon glaring at the man everytime he spoke.

You better don't do something stupid, Jon Snow, Cassie thought observing her friend not far from her.

Before Thorne could say something Cassie step foward "It's not the time to look after the new boy" she said annoyed "The schedule it's different"

"The schadule is what I say it is even for you, when you are in my territory" the man answered making Cassie messaging her forehead, trying to calm down. That was a huge waste of time, she was supposed to train the boys, not watching a guy that obviously hadn't pick up a sword once in his all life.

"Halder, see what Ser Piggy can do" Cassie shook her head at how predictable Thorne was. Halder was sixteen and he gave very strong blows, he knocked down many man just with his shoves.

The fight, if it was possible to call it that way, ended very soon. Cassie looked at the new guy at the ground pleading and yelling that he yeild. A lost cause, he should have never even think about the Wall, if those were his skills. A son of a lord pleading mercy on a farmer. She couldn't even bare to watch that scene.

Wanker and other boys from other groups were looking what was happening laughing. Cassie spotted Rose with an hand covering her mouth, other girls were looking away on purpouse, other were laughing. Cassie even spotted Derya shooking her head at the guy on the ground.

"Hit him" Thorne said to Halder "Hit him with the flat of your blade untill he stands up" at that point it was better kill him off, that guy would have never stood up. Halder started to hit him more and more and the guy just yelp and covered his head.

"Cassie" she heard Jon whispered next to her "We can't stay here doing nothing" Cassie didn't even turn to him and stayed quiet "Cassie..?" Then she saw a shadow moved pass her and before she could stop that stupid ass,  Jon step foward "Halder, enough" He said with confidence.

Cassie looked at her friend with wide eyes and she was even more shocked that Halder stopped for real.

"The bastard speaks and the paesants tremble" Ser Alliser said coldly "I remind you that I am the master-at-arms, Lord Snow"

"Look at him, Halder" Cassie wanted to smak that stupid head of his, when he ignored Thorne. He had no idea of what a mess he was putting himself in "There is no honor in beating a fallen foe. He yeilded"

"He yielded" Halder echoed. Cassie shooked her head at the scene in front of her.

Jon Snow, you are an idiot.

Thorne smiled "It seems the Bastard is in love. Aren't you jealous, princess?" Cassie frowned, what did he wanted from her? "We are going to make an exsercise out of it, Rast and Daeron, with Halder. Three of you will suffice to make Lady Piggy squeal. All you need to do is defeat the bastard" tipical Thorne. He had already sent two men against Jon, but three and all so well built, he really wanted to see Jon loose this time.

"Princess" Thorne called out "Why aren't you helping your Lord Snow?" Jon had his sword in hand and he turned to Cassie too at Thorne's words, but Cassie shook her head in annoyance.

"This is bullshit" she said starting to walk towards Thorne "I'm not here to play the knight-in-shining-armor" then she shoved her training daggers agains the master-at-arms "Do you want to have fun, use this idiots" then she walked away without turning "Call me when you want to train for real".

She spent the last two hours sleeping in her cell and she woke up just in time for dinner. She spotted Wylly at a table alone, Rose and the boys were at another table and Jon was nowhere to be seen. She wondered if he was alright, even if being beaten maybe would teach him something. It seemed almost like he enjoyed being hated by Thorne.

"Hey" Cassie said sitting in front of Wylly, who looked up with a smile "Alone today?"

"Cassie. Yes, Pyp is great but I needed some time to hear my own thoughts, not just his jokes" Cassie looked at the table where everyone was laughing, with tears in their eyes "How was your day?" Cassie scrolled her shoulder.

"Thorne is a bitch, but what's new?" Wylliana laughed at her words.

"Yes, I've heard what he made the boys do this afternoon" Wylly said "Not a nice welcoming, but I think he has a new friend" Cassie followed Wylly's gaze on the entrance of the room, where Jon was standing before walking to his friends. Cassie frown at Wylly when she turn back to her. The girl nodded "I've saw them walk out some time before you came in. No one had talked to the new guy. Your friend is very kind"

"Tell me about it" Cassie muttered looking at Jon who was whispering something to his friends. She really hoped it wasn't some stupid idea he had in mind, Thore was close to kill him.

She was talking with Wylly about the new girls' control when she saw a movement from the corner of her eyes. Turning she saw Jon Snow standing over her with a serious expression.

"Jon Snow" Cassie exclaimed with a smile.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked with a strange tone "Alone"

"Sure" she stood up telling Wylliana she would have been back in a minute. She followed Jon just outside the main hall. From there it was possible to see the huge dark wooden gate and the field covered every now and then by snow.

She leant her back on the wooden railing "Tell me"

"You left" he said and her smile faded in a moment "Today on the field you left me alone against three of them"

"I've heard you won" Cassie said simply.

His eyes widened "Just because Pyp and Grenn helped me" Jon argued.

"Still you won" Cassie replied calmly "What do you want from me?"

Jon felt silent for a moment "Is it honestly all you care about?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Cassie replied confused.

"Why didn't you help him today?" they weren't honestly fighting because of that guy.

Cassie rolled her eyes "And why did you?"

"You were the one who told me to help my companions" Jon argued reasing his voice. Was he stupid or something?

"Help them, yes" she said back putting her hands on her hips "Not fighting their battles for them. It's not on you to save them, Jon Snow. Stop play the hero" she then started to walk away.

"What happened to you?" He said looking at her like he had saw her for the first time "You are not friendly, you don't make jokes. You don't help people when they need it"

"It's not my place to help him, do you understand that?!" She argued angrily. She approached him, but Jon didn't step back standing his ground.

"When we first met you told me that you defended the people. That was why you were going to the Wall, to help who needed it" He didn't even knew what he was talking about.

"I defend people" she said "I can't defend who is suppose to stay here and defend!"

"Yes, if he needs it!" Jon yelled.

"Oh how kind you are, Jon Snow" she said mockingly "Then why don't you go help that little girl, she just slipped. Or maybe going to read for maester Aemon. Even if he is blind he can do it still but he doesn't need to worry anymore, the hero Jon Snow will ease his troubles!"

"Would you stop act like this?!" He said angrily.

"Like what!?" She yelled back "He is going to die, Jon" Jon shook his head at her words "He is, because he can't fight and he never will because you won't let him learn" how could he not see it? "What happen if he finds himself alone on the other side, without his Lord Snow covering his back? He won't stand up, he won't run and he certanly won't survive because you helped him now, Jon" silence fell between them. They looked in each other eyes, Cassie was angry, but Jon wasn't. He looked at her like he was trying to search for something, but at some point he surrendered and on his face there was just disappointment.

"What happened to you?" He muttered without diverting his eyes from her. Cassie heart skipped a bit and she hoped he hadn't noticed "You are not Cassie, you are nothing like her" for a moment it felt like she had stopped to breath, she didn't like how he was looking at her, she didn't like what he said.

Jon looked at her for a moment before walking away, leaving her there, looking ahead of her without words. Weren't they friends anymore? She felt cold on her chest and suddenly she felt one of her pinkies twinch. Immediately she looked at her hand, studing it, searching for any sort of trambeling, but nothing. It was nothing.

Jon Snow had walked away from her, he didn't understand what she had done, he couldn't understand. He didn't know and he would have never known. Ever.

She looked at the snow falling in front of her eyes, that strange feeling that she had in her chest. The feeling that she despised so much, the one that she hadn't felt in long time had come back but this time she knew how to control it.

Fuck him, she thought, I don't give a shit about him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, everyone! A new chapter for you! Let me know what you think.**

**I do not own anything but my OCs, anything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

 

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[CYEL](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/9d/f6/88/9df6889141932d3e24271ceaa36244bb--mary-stuart-alone-time.jpg)

“And it kept saying fly or die”

“The raven?”

“With three eyes” Cyel couldn’t understand what that all meant. Bran had told her what he had dreamt before he woke up after the fall. He was falling and a raven made him fly. Bran said that he saw his father, Sansa and Arya in the south, Sansa was crying and behind his two sisters three strange figures. He saw lady Catelyn and Antea going South, where they had exactly gone, how could he dream of it?

He then said he flew to the Est, to Asshai of the Shadows and he saw dragons fly there.

Coming back North he saw Jon at the Wall, sleeping and cold. And he saw even Cyel at Winterfell alone crying.

“What do you think it mean?” asked the girl sitting on a chair next to Bran’s bed.

“It doesn’t matter, it was lying” he said shortly “I can’t even walk, how can I fly?” Cyel look at her hands on her lap at those words.

Bran hadn’t cried, since he woke up. Since he had learnt about his legs. He was just full of anger and frustration, he didn’t say it out loud but it was clear at her eyes. He didn’t smile anymore and he always looked the window, trying to see the world outside. Cyel wanted to help him somehow, but she didn’t know what to do.

“You don’t have to be here, if you don’t want to” Bran muttered sadly “I know how you like to be outside” Cyel bit her lip looking at how sad he was.

“None sense” she said with an encouraging smile “I want to stay here with you” he looked at her before nodding with a quick smile.

Sounds of laughters and howlings came from outside. Rickon was running in the gardens with the wolfs, Cyel turned to Bran who leant back on the pillow puffing.

“The raven said anything else?” Cyel asked quikly, trying to distract him from any bad thoughts. Bran heald himself on his elbows ready to answer, but before he could Old nan spoke “Crows are all liars” the old lady was set in a chair doing her needlework “I know a story about a crow” Cyel took a breath in relief, she should have thought about stories, Bran loved them.

“I don’t want any more stories” Bran snapped and Cyel’s relief was gone in a moment “I hate your stupid stories” Cyel slapped lightly him on the arm and when he glared at her, she glared back challenging him.

The woman didn’t seem to mind Bran’s words “My stories? No, my little lord, not mine. The story are before me, you and the little lady, they are before all of us”

Cyel had always liked how Old Nan spoke, she was able to enchant everyone to listen to her. She was kind and wise and all her stories were beautiful. Cyel’s favourite were the love ones, like Sansa, but maybe because she spent so much time with Bran, she had to admit that even the adventurous ones, with heroes and magic were very pleasant to hear.

“I don’t care whose stories they are” Bran spoke again “I hate them” so much had changed for him in such a short time, he couldn’t run and climb anymore, he didn’t had his family with him in a moment so complex for him. Of course Robb was there, but he was lord now and when he was on duty he wasn’t the same Robb. Bran called his serious expression the face of Robb the Lord.

Cyel tried to ease Bran’s pain, but in that moment he didn’t need her or his siblings, he needed his mother and father. He asked where lady Catelyn had gone, since she hadn’t replied to the letter they wrote to let her know Bran was awake, but Cyel couldn’t tell him, Maester Luwin told her and she had sworn to the lady not to.

Robb asked Cyel to see if Bran remembered anything of the fall, but he didn’t, so Bran had told her.

“I know a story about a boy who hated stories” Bran rolled his eyes angrily and then he turned to Cyel trying to have her support against the old woman, but Cyel just scrolled her shoulders.

“I could tell you the story about Brandon the Buildler” now that was a great idea, she loved that story and so did Bran.

“It had always been your favourite, actually” Cyel said thinking out loud and Bran looked at her like to ask her what side was she on. She would have laughed if he hadn’t been so frustrated.

“No that’s not my favourite” _liar_ , she tought, he just wanted to won that battle, he loved Brandon the Buildler “My favourite were the scary ones” Cyel widened her eyes at his comment, and he looked at her proud of himself, knowing that Cyel didn’t like scary stories. A little smirk appeared on his face, but suddenly Rickon run again just outside the window, laughing like just before.

_Rickon, please play somewhere else,_ Cyel thought looking at Bran, who was trying to see outside, but when he faild he slammed his fist on his thight and a shocked and agry expression appeared on his face, his gaze fixed on  his leg. Cyel looked at him sadly, master Luwin had told her that he couldn’t move his legs, but he couldn’t even feel anything. Not even if his flesh got burn or scretch, nothing. She couldn’t even imagine what he was feeling right now. So she took a breath, she stood up and then set on Bran’s bed, next to him, who looked at her surprised.

“Old Nan is going to tell a scary story because of you” Cyel said playfully “And you know how I fear them, the least you can do is give me strenght” Bran observed her for a moment, searching for something, but it didn’t seem to find anything so he relaxed and nodded his head.

“Of course” he said scrolling his shoulder “I won’t be scared”

“Oh my sweet summer child” Old Nan said quietly making them turn to her “What do you know of fear?” so it began “Fear is for the winter, little lords, when snow falls a hundred feet deep and the ice wind comes from the North. Fear is for the long night, when the sun hides its face for years, where the children are born, live and die in darkness, when the white walkers move through the woods” Cyel was already knowing what fear was, by her words, but Bran seemed even more interested.

“You mean the Others?” he asked curiously and Cyel looked at the woman waiting for an answer.

The woman nodded her head with Cyel’s sorrow, the Others had always scared her “Thousands and thousands of years ago a long and cold winter fell. There came a night that lasted a generation and everyone couldn’t bare the freezing cold and died, kings, lords and paesants” the woman’s eyes fell on Bran “Is that the sort of stories you like?”

Bran hesitated “Well… yes but…”

“I knew the scary ones weren’t your favorite !” Cyel exclaimed winningly, Bran turned to her.

“They are” he argued.

“They are not” she singed proud of herself, she knew him to well.

“They are” he insisted “It’s just… I’ve never heard this one. So shut up, let her continue” Cyel laughed at his attempt to keep on with his lie. He was so stubborn.

Old Nan looked at them with a smile before return serious to keep telling the creepy story “In the darkness, the Others came for the first time” the sound of her needles keep working made the atmosphere even more scary, the smile on Cyel face disappeared “They were cold things and dead. They hated everything that was living and they destroyed everywhere and everyonw they passed. No man could stop them” _please say that there is someone who can,_ Cyel begged and without notice it, she and Bran found themselves leaning forward to hear better “This were the times when just the First Men lived these lands and when the children of the forrest lived in the woods. So when the death filled the earth, the last hero went to seek out for the children, to have help by their anchient magic and take back what was lost. He searched for years with a sword, a horse, a dog and a dozen of companions, but one by one all his friends died and his sword froze. And the Others smelled the hot blood in him and stalked him with packs of white spiders big as hounds-”

The doors burst open suddenly with a bang and the two children turnen turn immediately yelping. Cyel could hear her heart drumming in her chest so loud she didn’t even knew if someone had spoken.

“Oh gods, measter!” Cyel breath out with an hand on her heart. The maester was the one who entered, with Hodor, the tall and sweet stableboy.

“Hodor” he greeted them with a smile, like usual. He couldn’t speak other words, he just said his name. Actually that wasn’t his name. Old Nan told them that his real name was Walder, she knew since he was his nephew or grandnephew. But he one day had started to repeat just that word, so since then everybody called him Hodor.

Bran looked at the maester before let out a laugh “You got scared”

Cyel’s eyes widened “Oh because you didn’t?” she said mockingly, with a little smile.

“No, of course” he said scrolling his shoulders “These are my favourite stories”

“Liar” he got scared, she knew, he yelped when the maester entered, she heard him. They laughed at each other before maester Luwin spoke to have their attention “My lords” they turned to him and Cyel gave an apology look.

“We have visitors” he announced “and your presence is required, Bran”

“I’m listening to a story now” he complained and Cyel hid a smile, he didn’t even want to hear stories just few minutes ago.

“Stories can wait, my little lord” Old Nan said “You’ll find them here when you’ll come back, but visitors are not that patience”

“Who is it?” Bran asked seeming convinced by what the woman had said.

“Tyrion Lannister” maester Luwin said looking Cyel for a moment. The girl’s expression changed immediately and she hoped that Bran hadn’t saw it. What was a Lannister doing in Winterfell?

“And there are even men of the Night’s Watch, with a word from your brother Jon” Bran eyes lighted up at the mention of Jon’s name and he nodded his head “Hodor, will you help Bran down to the hall?” the sweet man gave an “Hodor” before walking towards the bed and picking Bran up.

“Are you coming with us, Cyel?” Bran asked, his fingers clutched to Hodor’s clothes, while he looked down at her.

She wouldn’t let him alone with a Lannister ever again “Of course” she answered standing up, but before she could exit the room maester Luwin stopped her. Bran looked at them with curious eyes, but the man spoke “Go on, I had to ask something to Cyel” Cyel smiled at Bran before he disappeared behind a corner. 

“Remember we do not know anything” the maester said in a whisper.

Cyel frowned “Why are you telling me this?”

“Cyel, your eyes speak for you” the man said “I know you are angry, but not let them see it”

“Was I too obvious?” she asked uncertain. The man smiled “Just a little”.

Cyel nodded her head “I’ll be careful” the man seemed to look at her proudly, before leading the way to the main hall.

The room was crouded, there were a dozen guardsmen lined, in the center of the room there was Tyrion Lannister with his servants and Cyel had to take a long and calming breath, to not let see the anger raising in her. It the room there were men of the Night’s Watch and two women wearing black vests. One had blond hair the other had auburn hair, their dresses were different and made by unexpert hands, even though they were very beautiful. Those women must had been Keeper’s of Light, the order Cassie was part of.

In front of all of them there was Bran sit on the high sit of the Starks, the one, she knew, where the Kings in the North had set long time ago. Robb was standing with his sword pointed at the dwarf. She may needed to control her anger but she wasn’t the only one. Having a sword in hand declared to the guest that he wasn’t welcomed. Cyel turned to maester Luwin who gave out a breath.

When they opened the door everyone turn to them and of course even the dwarf.

“Lady Sand” he said bowing his head.

“Lord Tyrion” she answer alluding a bow. She wouldn’t have bown fully, not to a Lannister. Cyel then stopped to a side of the room next maester Luwin.

“Cyel, come here” Bran said suddenly. The girl looked at maester Luwin, before looking at Robb and the both of them nodded their heads, making her step forward. She walked to the Stark boys and Robb told her she could sit on the sit next to Bran. Cyel thanked him before sitting down with all the room’s gazes fixing at them, a ligh laugh came from behind her and she turend to see Theon Greyjoy looking at her amused. Cyel shook her head before turning to the Lannister.

“You said you had business with Bran, Lannister” Robb said putting away his sword. The short lord’s eyes were fixed on Bran, studing him and Cyel felt the boy shift, clearly noticing him staring.

“I’ve come to know you were quite the climber” Lord Tyrion said and Cyel fought the urge to shook her head “How is it that you fell that day?”

“I never” Bran said without hesitation in his voice. And for a moment Cyel thought that maybe he remembered. But then she recalled what Bran always said: _I never fall._

It was impressive that he was right even that time.

“The child doesn’t remember of the fall and the climb before it” maester Luwin explained at the man.

“Curious” Lord Tyrion muttered. He seemed honestly interested by the fall, maybe he wanted to cover for his brother? Cyel studied the man, wandering why he was there.

Robb was getting angry, she really hoped for Antea to be there and calm him down “My brother is not here to answer questions, Lannister. Do your business and go away” Cyel looked at Robb, understanding his feelings, but he was the lord he couldn’t talk that way.

“I have a gift for you” Lord Tyrion asked Bran and Cyel frowned “Do you like to ride?” Bran loved to ride, he always wanted to ride like his brothers and race with them, but since now he only had a pony. He was dreaming the day he could have ride a real horse. But he couldn’t now, not with his legs. And Cyel heard the maester tell the men exacly this, but lord Tyrion disagreed.

“With the right horse and saddle even a cripple can ride” Cyel flinched at his words and she turned to look Bran.

“I’m not a cripple” his eyes were watering and the girl’s stomach clanged. He shouldn’t have been on that tower.

“Then I am not a dwarf” the man answered and Cyel looked at him with hate in her eyes “A small horse would do fine, you need to teach it how to respond at the reins and to the voice” he said handing maester Luwin a paper. Bran’s eyes never left the dwarf as Cyel’s never left the boy next to her.

“Will I truly be able to ride?” Bran asked carefully, it was like he didn’t want to believe, afraid it was a lie.

“You will for sure” Bran turned to Cyel with a smile when he looked at the drawing on the paper. Cyel looked at it, he had really thought of everything. But could they trust him?

“You drew it?” Cyel asked looking up from the paper and the man’s different coloured gaze fell on her.

“Of course, little lady” he answered “Don’t worry, your friend will be safe”

_Safe,_ she bitterly, she failed to believe him, but the maester seemed to believe it was all good.

“Your sudden kindness brings all of us joy, my lord” Cyel said with a forced smile, which the man noticed and smirked at her.

“I’m a very kind person, if the chance to show it is given to me” he repiled with the grin never leaving his face “But it’s not on me this time. Your brother Jon asked me, my lords” he said to the Stark boys “And in my heart I have a soft spot for bastrads, cripples and broken thinks” and he place an hand on his heart dramatically. Cyel just studied him, like Robb was doing. But suddenly light invaded the room and Rickon entered with the direwolves, but when the boy stopped the wolves walked forward eyeing the Lannister.

Summer was the first to go closer to him, starting to walk in circle around Lord Tyrion. Grey Wind followed immediately

Theon gave out a laugh “The wolves do not like your smell, Lannister” Cyel didn’t even turn to look at his friend, but she appreciated the comment. She would have even smiled if the wolves hadn’t seemed so threatening.

_They know,_ Cyel thought amazed looking every steps of the creatures before them.

“I think is time for me to take my leave” lord Tyrion said walking backwords from the wolves, but Shaggydog came out from the shadow behind the man, growling at him. Cyel now really was worry for the man. Shaggydog was the most aggressive among his brothers, he growled and stared at any person who went to close to Rickon, friend or not, his green eyes scared her sometimes. Just the youngest Stark was able to calm him and make him seem a sweet puppy.

Summer appeared at one side of Tyrion quietly, like always. But Cyel had seen what that pup could do to a man even bigger that the little lord in frot of them.

Grey Wind suddenly snapped at him, ripping with is teeth Tyrion’s sleeve. Everyone gasped in the room, the men of Lannister ready to get their sword, Cyel cover her mouth with her hand before Bran yelled “No! Summer, here. To me” Summer eyes moved to his owner and looking at the man one more time went to sit at Bran’s feet, guarding him. The same did Grey Wind when Robb colled him. But Shaggydog was still there growling at the man.

“Rickon call him!” Bran shouted from the high sit and Rickon looked at him before calling his direwolf and went away.

Robb immediately apologized for the wolves’ behavior and offered hospitaly to the man, but Tyrion Lannister dismissed his offer and went away with his men, checking his arm. Then Robb talked to the men of the Night’s Watch who would have spent the night in Winterfell, to leave for the South the next day. Soon the meeting was over and they could all go.

“Cyel” Bran called her, making her turn “Can you believe it? I will ride again” he was so happy and she found herself mentally thanking the Lannister, but most Jon Snow. She didn’t know how he convinced the man, but she was glad nonetheless.

“See Summer” Bran shown the drawing to his direwolf, who moved his tail happly. Bran laughed and petted his head. Cyel looked at him, everything would have been so difficult for him, she hadn’t even relized how much before he woke up. But she was proud of him, Bran was so strong. He still believed he hadn’t fell, he wasn’t giving up. Maybe time would fix things in his mind and heart, she really hoped that.

“You really don’t like lord Tyrion” Bran said suddenly looking up from Summer.

“What makes you think that?” she asked denying, but he glared at her with a knowing  look.

“I know you” he said simply “That wasn’t your kind face” Cyel laughed lightly, let him know he was right. She knew him, but he knew her well too.

“Yes, you are right” she answered honestly.

“Why?” he frowned “You like everybody” Cyel couldn’t answer to that, not now anyway. Maybe one day, when he wasn’t suffering too much, if it was possible for him not to suffer about his legs.

“I don’t know” she said “Probably because he is a Lannister. My family doesn’t like them very much” Bran looked at her, trying to be sure she wasn’t lying, which she wasn’t, and when he seemed convinced he nodded.

“Bran” maester Luwin’s voice made them turn “It’s time for you to go to your chambers” Bran rolled his eyes, in a couple of hours he had a lesson with the maester, which he didn’t like very much. Bran was very smart, but he didn’t like to study. Hodor arrived with his usual smile before picking Bran up in his arms and Cyel stood up too.

“Thank you” Bran said to her before going “For staing with me. I know it’s boring being trapped inside”

“It is not” she said with a smile “I’ll see you later” Bran waved his hand, while Hodor took him away. She looked at him disappear behind the door before turning around to see the high sit and the one she had set on. The high sit was beautiful, huge made of dark strong wood and to heads of direwolves engraved on the edges of the armsets. The Kings in the North had set there and now it was the place of the lord of Winterfell. Then she looked at the place where she had set, lady Catelyn’s sit and she felt suddenly out of place. Why did they let her sit there? It wasn’t her place.

“Are you getting comfortable already, little one?” Theon Greyjoy came up behind her with a mocking grin.

“Oh, shut up” she said turning to look at him “I shouldn’t have set down, that’s not my place”

Theon crosses his arm over his chest looking at the chairs in front of them “Maybe not this” he said “But your place is next your betrothed and since he can’t stand, you have to sit” Cyel eyes widened… how did he knew?

“Please, little one” he said with a smirk “It was obvious. You can’t marry Robb and you already spend your life with that boy, after the wedding nothing will be different” she blushed, she didn’t want to talk about marriage now and not with Theon, she felt embarrassed.

“I made you blush” he mocked her, bopping her nose with his finger before turning and going away.

Cyel spent her afternoon in her chamber, she had her lessons of music and needlework with the new septa that her father sent to her from Dorne, to not trouble lord Stark with more thoughts. Her name was Dorena and she was very sweet, she was strict but she smiled more often than Septa Mordane, that was sure. She even talked to Cyel about her sisters in Dorne. Obara always trained and Nymeria seemed a young queen, while Tyenne was continuing her studies to become a Septa. Her youngest sister were playful like always and Ellaria, their mother and the new love of her father, had sent her a beautiful neckless shaped like a snake. Even her uncle and cousins were fine.

Cyel missed all of them very much and she couldn’t wait to see them again, of course once her mother and Bran would felt well again.

Cyel looked outside the window remembering how much Winterfell was different just a few months before. She would have given anything to hear the laughter echoing in all the castle, knowing that no harm could have come to them, but it wouldn’t happened. She had to become an adult now and she really hoped she was ready for it.    


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello! Here for you a new chapter, I hope you’ll like it.**

**I do not own anything but my OCs, anything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

 

ANTEA

They were finally haeding North. Antea couldn’t wait to see the dark stones of Winterfell again, feeling the cold wind against her cheeks and the light mist all around her. Breathing the air of home.

She could already picture Robb running at the gate. Antea would gave him the biggest hug she had ever gave. He would for sure have Rickon and their direwolves on his heels and Antea would pick up her little brother and cover him of kisses, while their pups would play together at their feet. Certainly there would be even Theon Greyjoy wearing his usual smile on his face, she would hug him too. Then she would run to Bran hoping to find him awake and smiling at her like always, Antea would not leave his chamber for days, she could already see it. And of course with him she would find her best friend Cyel. She couldn’t wait to arrive there and see them all, she missed even master Luwin and his lessons.

A drop fell on her cheek and Antea look up to the grey sky full of clouds “You should cover your heads, my ladies” Ser Rodrick said glaring at the rain.

Antea cover her hair immediately with the hood of her dark cloack but her mother smiled “It’s just water, Ser Rodrick” she replied gently.

The girl studied her mother’s face, she was smiling relaxed. Antea didn’t know she liked the rain, she had never let her or her brothers to play outside while it was raining, her mather always said it was too cold. Antea always thought she didn’t want for them to get dirty with mud, but looking at her face it was like she had wait a life time to ride in the rain. Of course that water was very different from the one falling down from the skyes of the North. That rain was gentle and Antea felt it barely on her face. She wondered what her mother was thinking about right now.

“I’m soaked through. Even my bones are wet” Ser Rodrick said and Antea smiled at him trying to dry his face with his wet gloved hand.

“Maybe we need a fire and a hot meal” Antea proposed, making her mother turn to her “I’m worried about our Ser Rodrick” her mother smiled playfully while they both looked at the man who gave out a light laugh.

“You got me there, my lady” he replied.

Lady Catelyn smile at her daughter “Well, in this case” she started “There is an inn at the crossroads up ahead”.

Her mother must knew, those lands were her father’s, lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. Antea and Robb were born in Riverrun, during the Rebellion of Robert Baratheon. Antea and her brothers had been in her mother’s former home few times, not many, but they have. She wondered if they would have stopped at the castle, but deep down Antea hoped not, she wanted to go home.

“I don’t know, my lady” Ser Rodrick said wistfully “Probably a small holdfast would be better, if we wish to remain unknown” _could someone figure who we really are?_

Well, not Antea for sure. But could they all really remember lady Catelyn Tully?

It had been years since she had been there and Antea was sure that not many high lords stopped by an inn, someone maybe, but not all of them could have ever seen her mother. As many northerner’s lords had ever seen Antea.

“They will just see three mud-spattered travelers, wet and tired” her mother said with confidence “I think we shall be safe at the inn. No one will suspect that I am the daughter of their lord liege”  her mother was right, they were cover in so much dirt that she couldn’t recognize herself when she looked at her reflection in the water, riding for days do that to people. She loved riding so much.

It was dark when they reaced the inn, it was at the crossroads, near the Trident. Antea looked at it while riding. It was a beautiful view, even now that it was raining. Three rivers that became one, they almost seemed a family.

“Antea” her mother said when they get down from theirs horses.

“Yes, mother?” Antea asked thanking with a smile Ser Rodrick who took the reins from her hand.

“It is better if Shadow stays outside tonight” Catelyn said almost sorry “I don’t want to take the chance for someone to notice her. A direwolf is an unusual creature” Antea looked at her back and she saw golden eyes glowing in the darkness of the trees. She didn’t want to leave Shadow out in the rain, but nobody would have mistaken her for a dog and peasants of the crossroads didn’t have direwolves.

“Alright, mother” she said “Go ahead, I’ll come in a minute” her mother look at Shadow before turn to her daughter and with a small smile she nodded, before walking to the door of the inn. Antea turned and went closer to Shadow, that was already laying down, looking at her sadly.

“I’m sorry, girl” she said petting her head “But mother is right this time. I’ll bring you food later” Shadow licked her hand, before Antea stood up.

When she entered the inn her mother was talking to the owner, she was short and fat, her hair grey and she was chewing a sourleaf “Leave your boots down here” she was saying “The boy will clean them. I won’t have mud on my stairs and mind the bell. Those who come late don’t eat” Catelyn turned to Antea when she saw her approach and walked to her.

“We have the room up the stairs, Ser Rodrick has the one next to us” she said.

The room was little, but Antea didn’t even payed attention to it, she was getting used of small spaces and a bed to share. She had even to admit that she liked sleeping with her mother, it made her feel a little child again.

“Are you tired?” Catelyn asked while Antea was changing her dress.

“A little, but I’m fine” she answered with a groan leaving her mouth since she was struggling closing her dress.

“Here, let me” Catelyn said walking towards her and helping Antea with the fastening of her dress. Once she had done Antea turned to her mother who was observing her. Antea looked at herself to check if everything was fine.

“I’ve just realize” Catelyn said “That this is Robb’s favorite dress on you” Antea studied her dress, it was pale grey, with blue simple embroideries around the neck. She always rode with it, it was so comfortable.

When the bell rang and the two of them looked at the door in the same instant.

“It’s time to dine” her mother said fixing her dry dress.

Antea nodded “Ser Rodrick will be glad” she said with a smile and she was happy when she heard her mother gave away a light laugh.

It was unbelievable how much her mother felt better after seeing her husband. Antea felt relieved to know that her father and her sisters had come to King’s Landing safely, not happy, but safely nonetheless. But seeing how her parents looked at each other after being away from one another for a month, surprised her strangely. Not because of their reaction, but because she thought for the first time that she wanted to be looked that way and she wanted to look someone with so much love in her eyes.

“You love Father” Antea  realized she had talked out loud when her mother turned to her.

“You seem so surprised” the girls looked at the strange expression on her mother’s face and immediately she spoke again “No, I mean… you didn’t marry for love, but you fell in love nonetheless” she said a bit embarrassed “So is it possible even for us?” Antea was terrorized at the idea of leaving her home, but maybe with the right man, a brave man, who loved her, she would have been happy even away from Winterfell… maybe not too far away.

Her mother looked at her with kindness“Your father and I only want for you and your brothers to be happy”

Antea interrupted her “So, we can marry for love” but the expression of her mother let her knew that she was wrong.

“You are a Stark” Catelyn said after taking a breath “It means that you can’t marry just someone. Marriage is the strongest alliance, expetially in times of war”

Antea’s eyes widened “War?” why was she mentioning war? _We are talking about marriage._

The girl observed her mother looking at the door, as if she wanted to be sure they were alone “I didn’t want to tell you, to not worry you” Catelyn whispered “But talking with your Father, we realized that there is the possibility of going war against crown”

“The crown?” Antea yell whispered “But Mother… why? I mean, I know what the Lannisters did, but why going war against the king?”

“Your father doesn’t trust the king” her mother confessed “He need to find proves of the guilt of Jamie and Tyrion Lannister and be sure that the king is not involved” Antea soon felt scared for her father. He was alone against many, he couldn’t trust anyone. She hoped that the king wasn’t guilty and that would help her father, if he didn’t…

“Mother” she said afraid of what her mother would answer “If we are going to war, what is going to happen to father and the girls?” they would be hostages or worst they could be killed. Antea had spent just few nights in the Capital, but nothing reassured her of that place: the royal family, the guards, tha people, expetially the plump and bold man who knew everything and the short one with the pointy beard. They had to find a way to get their family out of King’s Landing. And if they were going to war and her father wasn’t North, their bannermand needed a guide for sure. A guide whose name was Stark.

_Robb has to go to war,_ Antea thought feeling the panic growing inside of her.  War was a serious manner, people died in battle and they were just fiftheen.

Her mother was about to answer when a knock come from the door.

“We’ll talk about this later” Catelyn whispered quickly before turning to the door “Come in”.

Ser Rodrick entered the room carefully, he was dry and he didn’t seem cold. Antea wanted to smile to him, but she really couldn’t. Too much thoughts in her head.

She didn’t want war, she was scared by it. People died in war and she didn’t want for her family to go throught something like that. _How did that happen?_ Antea thought silently. The Starks had always been peaceful people, why the Lannisters were doing all of that? Why bring so much pain in their own country and in the North?

_Why are you doing this?_

“I think it’s better pretend you are my father”Antea heard her mother say at some point “Alright, Antea?” she asked making the girl look up “Call Ser Rodrick grandfather, alright?” Antea nodded her head without a word.

They arrived in the main room of the inn, where men and women where already eating and drinking and talking to each other. Antea had always loved the time of the meals, especially dinner, because usually her father let dine with them even their people and Winterfell was full of voices and laughters. And they usually danced after eating. Antea always danced with Rickon, since her brothers Robb and Jon Snow never liked to dance but Antea, Sansa and Cyel loved that, so they always dance with each other. She wondered if Sansa had already found someone to dance to, apart from Jeyne Poole. She really hoped that Sansa would trust just her old friends and not the new girls she would meet. Arya, she was sure, wouldn’t make friends with the girls that the queen made her meet. A part of her was sad that maybe Arya would feel lonely, but at least maybe it would be safer for her.

The inn was crouded with people, her mother had told her that their rooms were the only two left. On the wooden benches there were townpeople and farmers, but not just them. There were three men of the Brackens with the sigil of a stallion and not far from them a large party who wore the sigil of the twin towers of House Frey. Antea was skilled with the sigils and the names of the Houses all thanks to Sansa, they had studied together and after a while Antea was able to recognize more or less every House of the Seven Kingdoms.

Antea looked at her mother observing the men, it seemed that she wasn’t happy to see them, maybe because she was afraid that they may recognize her.

Near the kitchen Ser Rodrick found a place to sit and when Antea moved to the bench a young man, more or less around Theon Greyjoy’s age, set not far from them spoke.

“Maybe this beautiful girl wants to hear a song” Antea relized he was talking to her just when he smirked at her with shining eyes.

“Oh.. umm” she mumbled unsure of what to say “Well… no, thank you” she finally managed with a small smile.

“My daughter is tired for the travel” her mother intervened linking her arm to Antea’s “Maybe another time” they set and Antea smiled thankfully to her mother.

“Where do you come from?” the singer asked without stop smirking, Antea felt embaressed under his eyes, but her mother seemed calm so she tried to relax.

“King’s Landing” Catelyn answered polilty.

“That’s where I’m bound” he exclaimed happly. He didn’t seemed interested in their story, he seemed more concerned on telling his “The Hand’s tourney bring rich lords with fat purses. I would have went away with lots of silver if I hadn’t lost it betting on the Kingslayer to win the day” Antea tried with all her forces not to let a smile come to her face, but the imagine of Jaime Lannister falling down his horse’s back was priceless, she bet he had lost in that way and she really wished she had been there to see it happen.

“It was a nice view to see the rich man lose?” she asked with an amused tone.

“Not for my purse” he said “But for my eyes, it is second just to your beauty” Antea smiled embarrassed turning her head towards the window. When she saw how much it was raining she thought of Shadow hiding out there, feeling sorry for her. After she had eaten she would brought something to her.

“The gods frown on the gambler” Ser Rodrick said sternly.

“They frown certainly on me” the lad said when a boy run to them with beer in his hand. Antea looked at the drink, she had never had beer, maybe sweet wine now that she was fifthteen, but she was a peasant now and she hoped that she had liked that thing “My name is Marillion” the lad spoke, but Antea hardly heard him, to focus on drink the beer and let them think it was good. She didn’t like the flavor, too strong for her. How did her brothers and Theon manage to drink it?

“Maybe you heard my play somewhere”

“I’m afraid not” her mother spoke nicely “I’m sure you’ve visited almost all the Seven Kingdoms”

Marillion nodded drinking his beer “I sure have”

“I’ve heard lord Tully is fond of songs. No doubt you have been at Riverrun” Antea looked at her mother, she seemed so happy to be in those lands, her lands. Maybe she missed home, even if her family was in Winterfell she dreamt of Riverrun some nights.

Why only women had to move from their home? It wasn’t fair.

“They keep a chamber for me” the singer said airily “I’ve been there hundreds of times” Antea frowned amused, that guy was strange but he was funny.

“Have you ever travelled north?” Antea asked “At Winterfell?” she really wanted to hear something about her country, maybe if he had a song on it she would have asked to hear it.

“Why would I?” she frowned at his words “It’s all blizzards and bearskins up there, and the Starks know no music but the howling of wolves” that was a lie. They loved music, just not all kind of music and the howling made a beautiful song to hear. Why every man of the South thought that about the northerners? She was about to argue on that but the door opened with a bang.

“Innkeeper” a servant said “we have horses that want stabling, and my lord of  Lannister requires a room and a hot bath” Antea’s body paralyzed at the mention of that name. Ser Rodrick muttered something but her mother shushed him with her fingers thight around his forearm.

The innkeeper apologized for not having rooms, but the short lord step forward speaking boldly “My men will sleep in your stables, and as for myself, I don’t require a large room as you can see” he was grinning, Antea would have done anything to take it away from his face, since he tried everything to kill her sweet brother.

Suddenly Tyrion Lannister pulled a coin from his purse and started to toss it and catch it in his hand. A man stood up and went to the lord “You’re welcomed in my room, m’lord”

“Now that’s a clever man” he exclaimed before giving the gold to the man and turning to the innkeeper “You will be able to manage food, I trust?” that woman had become suddenly so kind to her guests, because she run in the kitchen to prepare some food.

Lord Tyrion wasn’t alone, with him there were a servant, two guards and a man of the Night’s Watch and a woman dressed in black. Antea’s thoughts went immediately to Jon Snow, wondering how his new life was now that he was at the Wall. She hoped that Cassie was watching his back, like always.

The little man wasn’t glancing too much to the people in the room and Antea noticed her mother relax on that, maybe he wouldn’t notice them.

“My lord of Lannister!” Marillion exclaimed standing up and Antea was really tempted to kick him in the shins “I would be pleased to entertain you during your meal, maybe singing of your father’s victory at King’s Landing”

“Nothing would be more likely to ruin my supper” he said without sparing a glance on the lad, in fact his gaze fell on them. Her mother tried to looked away but Antea knew it was too late, so she just looked at him in silence. He looked at them surprised for a moment, but then the dwarf smiled “Lady Stark and the lovely lady Antea” he said “What an unexpected pleasure. I was sorry to miss the both of you at Winterfell” Did he even dare to enter their home? Antea couldn’t stop looking at the man with hate, he seemed to notice because he looked at her puzzeled. He was there and he saw them, what should they do now?

Antea’s mother rose slowly on her feet, with tha grace of a queen, while everyone’s shocked gazes were fixed on them, Antea didn’t even payed attention, too focused on the little Lannister in front of her.

“Lady… Stark?” the innkeeper muttered thickly.

“I was still Catelyn Tully the last time I bedded here” she announced, then her gaze wondered in the room, as if she was searching for something. What did she want to do?

“You in the corner” Catelyn said “It’s the black bat of Harrenal I see on your surcoat, ser?” Antea followed her mother’s gaze to find an old man who got to his feet “It is, my lady”

“And his Lady Whent a true and honest friend to my father, Lord Hoster Tully?”

“She is” the man replied with honour. Antea frowned not understanding what her mother’s intentions were. And judging by Tyrion Lannister’s face, neather did he.

“My father counts Jonos Bracken among his oldest and most loyal friends” Catelyn said to another.

The three man looked at each other before one of them spoke “Our lord is honoured by his trust”

“I envy your father all these friends” Lannister said worried “But I do not understand the meaning of this, Lady Stark” Antea wanted to understand too. Her mother was speaking to the bannermen as if she was declaring war and the more she spoke the more she could feel those men taking their side.

“I know your sigil as well” Catelyn kept saying ignoring Lannister “The twin towers of Frey” even the men of Frey stood up, before her mother turned to Tyrion Lannister “This man came as guest into my house, and there he conspired to murder my son, a boy of seven” Antea stood up as well at those words, her eyes never leaving the Lannister, she understood what her mother was doing now. Ser Rodrick did the same with his sword in hand. Suddenly the door opened and Shadow walked in the room wet and growling. Her golden eyes fixed on the man who trembled when he saw her pacing around him. Antea looked proud at her pup and so did her mother “In the name of King Robert and the good lords you serve, I call you to seize him and help me return him to Winterfell to await the king’s justice”

Every men in the room took his sword and pointed it at the man of Lannister unable to do anything. Antea let a grin form on her face looking at the man before her. Nothing would gave her more satisfaction than proper justice being served.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone! I’m so sorry for taking this long but here you go a new chapter.**   
**Let me know what you think!**   
**I do not own anything but my OCs’, everything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

JON  
That morning the cold wind wasn’t blowing, not even the snow was falling from the skyes. It seemed almost the perfect weather for what was to come to the new recruits of the Watch.  
Jon Snow was wearing his black clothes and gloves, his fingers weren’t freezing like they did before. Maybe because of the weather, but part of him thought that he was getting used to the cold of the Wall.  
He was there, on the field. Sam was next to him fixing his armor even if he was holding his sword in his hands. Jon snorted affectionatly when the blade fell at the boy’s feet and he kneeled to pick it up for him.  
“Are you nervous, Sam?” Jon asked with a smile.  
“What makes you think that?” Sam said taking the sword from Jon’s hand, who was looking at him seriously “I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Jon” he said honestly “I mean.. Fighting against the girls, they seem pretty violent”  
Jon followed Sam’s gaze on the girls who were getting ready. He saw Wylliana moving her long sword in the air, Derya waving fast her spear in her hands, Kyuna was trowing axes to a mark on the field and at the end he spotted Cassie with her daggers. She wasn’t trainig, she was set on a step of the stairs looking at the blades in silence.  
Jon looked at the girl. They hadn’t spoken since their fight, he didn’t want to. Not that she did, anyway.  
He really thought for all those years that he knew her, but he really didn’t. He couldn’t find the little girl that stood up for him when Theon Greyjoy pushed him on the dirt while they were playing, or the one who believed in helping who needed. It felt like she had been lying to him for all those years. And if that was the real Cassie, he wasn’t sure he liked her.  
“Jon, are you listening?” He turned to Sam when he heard his voice.  
“Sorry, what were you saying?” Jon apologized.  
“Are you scared?” Jon looked the girls again. They sure seemed very skilled and of course it wouldn’t been easy to beat them, but he had already beaten Cassie, he could do it again.  
“No” he answered “Just remember to stay focused” Sam smiled at him and Jon returned the gesture.  
Steps on the snow made them turn and they saw Ser Alliser and Vyva approatcing them. The four girls lined up on a side of the training field and the boys did the same to the other.  
“Good morning” Vyva spoke kindly, like always “You are here today to be tested as possible future rangers. To do so you’ll be divided in four groups to..” But Ser Alliser interrupted the woman coughing.  
“Actually” he spoke with a devious smile on his face “I was thinking that a dimostration is needed” his eyes fell on Jon who didn’t divert his gaze, wondering what was on that man’s mind this time.  
“I mean, we all know that the girls can’t fully use their capability on them” he kept saying.  
“What are you suggesting, Alliser?” Vyva asked crossing her arms over her chest.  
“Since we have a very good sword man among the new recruits, we could let him fight against the best fighter from the girls. What do you think Lord Snow?” Jon already knew he was talking about him. For Thorne any excuse was good to make Jon work harder. His friends turned to him and Jon made a step foward, not wanting to show hesitance.  
“If you think he is ready, go on” Vyva said and Jon could swear he heard the man give a silent laugh at that. The woman didn’t seem impressed by what he was proposing, so knowing that he had to fight he started to look at the girls, wondering who the best of them could be.  
“Cassandra” Vyva said walking away from the field. Jon looked at Cassie, impressed that even if she was so young she was the best of them, the other three were all older of her. But Jon felt relieved, he knew already how Cassie moved. They had trained all their lives together.  
Cassie stopped in front of him, she was looking at him but with cold eyes.  
“Don’t hold back, princess” Thone said “It’s a dimostration, fight like you do beyond the Wall” Cassie didn’t even looked at Thorne, before answer “If you think he can handle it”   
Jon frowned at her words, almost offended by them. So that’s what they had come to now? Immediately he took his sword in hand and shield up. Cassie did the same with her daggers assuming the position.  
“The rules are simple, Cassie will try to subjogate you, so Jon if Cassandra touches your neck you have lost the fight” Jon nodded at Vyva’s words ready to fight.  
“Begin” Thorne announced.   
Jon attacked first and Cassie blocked it with her dagger, moving his arm so Jon’s chest wasn’t covered. He immediately raised his shield and Cassie gave a push on it with her foot. Jon fought to keep his balance, surprised by her move and when she attacked he managed to block a couple of blows but with difficulty. It was so different, totally different from how she fought in Winterfell. She was faster and umpredictable, it was like she had more than two hands. Not even a movement was casual or uncertain, it was like she knew exactly what he would do next. Her feet knew perfectly where to step and her arms knew what movement they had to do to lead the fight exactly where she wanted. It wasn’t like she trained all her life, it was like she trained every single minute of it. Her skills were superior from his, highly superior. Now Jon understand why she laughed at their wooden swords back in Winterfell. Suddenly with one dagger she blocked his sword making his wrist turn in a strange position, so he couldn’t move and with a fast movement her cold hand was around his neck.   
Jon looked shocked at her. Where did her other dagger disappear? He looked down and he noticed the dagger held in an hiddend pocket behind Cassie’s back. He now noticed for the first time that Cassie’s vest was full of belts and on her lather corset he now noticed many hidden pockets.  
Thorne’s voice echoed in laughter “I thought you would have taken longer, princess. I know how you like to fight”  
Cassie removed her hand from Jon’s hand before putting her daggers back in her belt “You said he could handle this… Well, he couldn’t” Jon heard bitterness in her voice, like she wanted to make a point. She then turned without spearing a glance to him who tightened his grip on his sword, before going back to the boys.  
Thorne called out two boys to go and train with Wylliana and Kyuna, so Jon went to a side throwing his sword on the snowy ground. He wasn’t angry that she had beaten him but because she had lied all her life to him, even about her training. How could he never have noticed the real her? He was so sure to know Cassie. The funny, outspoken and a little crazy girl with messy blak hair and her face always covered in mud. It was like that girl had never existed.  
“Don’t get angry” a voice made him turn to see beside him Derya Rowen with her back against the wall and her arms crossed over her chest.  
“What?” Jon asked unsure if he was supposed to reply.  
The girl looked at him with her green studying eyes. The two of them had never spoke, but he had noticed Derya’s gaze on him sometimes.  
“Over Cassandra, I mean” she said calmly “You’ll get use to her” her gaze fell on Cassie who was now watching Wylliana training with Pyp. He saw her laughing at Pyp falling on the ground and immediately he looked back at Derya.  
“Has she always been like that? Jon asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.  
“You mean full of herself? Yes, she was” Derya answered simply and Jon took a breath, not even knowing what he was expecting to hear “Well, no” Derya spoke again after a moment of silence “We never get along, I have to admit it, but the truth is that everything went down the hill after her first mission, maybe she she felt better than anyone because she was nine”  
“Nine?” Jon exclaimed almost shocked. Cassie went beyond the Wall when she was just nine years old? Why hadn’t she ever told him? Or Robb?  
Derya looked at him with surprise “It’s strange she didn’t tell you, I thought she was supposed to be your friend” then she loughed to herself “Oh right, she doesn’t have any”   
“I thought...” Jon muttered more to himself and he noticed Derya’s eyes on him, as she was sorry for him.  
“Listen, you seem a nice guy, so I’ll be honest to you” she said kindly “I’ve watched you, you are kind to everyone and we all like you in our way. I don’t understand why you seem to care so much about Cassandra”  
“She is my best friend. I know her since we were children” Jon said almost defensly.  
“Right you are Lord Stark’s bastard” he nodded confused by her surprise “She told us she knows your father, but she never said anything about..” She stopped with an apology look.   
Jon’s eyes fell on Cassie set on the wooden step of the stairs alone watching who was training on the field. Why hadn’t she ever spoken about him or his brothers to anyone? Cassie liked to be in Winterfell with Jon’s family. His siblings loved her and Robb and him were very close to her. Why?   
“I’m sorry, Jon but that’s who she is. At first she seems great. I remember when she arrived, I was so ispired by her” Derya said looking at Cassie “Just at five she was able to fight properly and she managed to fully control her powers at seven” Derya kept saying fixing her gaze on Jon’s “But then she became distant and cold and what is worst is that she doesn’t care to hurt feelings” Jon felt unconfortable and for a moment he felt like they weren’t talking about the same person anymore. They couldn’t be talking about the Cassie that he knew “That’s who Cassandra Baratheon is, you don’t want her as an enemy, nor a friend” then she put her hand on Jon’s shoulder “I’m sorry”.  
Derya moved past him to go to the field. Jon just looked at his feet, unable to think about anything.  
All his life he had cared about this girl, calling her his best friend, when she didn’t even ever talked about him or his brothers.   
How could I not see it? He thought bitterly. He had always defended Cassie when Theon Greyjoy said nasty things about her, Jon hated to admitt it but maybe Theon had been right all along.  
Robb would know what to think? Jon wished to have his brother next to him. Robb had always something to say even in situations like that. He wondered what Robb would have thought of Cassie’s behavior and about Derya’s words.  
“That is not true, you know?” Jon turned when he heard Rose’s sweet voice “Not entirely, anyway”  
Rose set on a close barrel, gesturing him to sit on the one next to her. Jon had loose his words at that point, so he just set next to the girl, afraid to feel disappointed again.  
“I’m sorry” she apologized “I’ve heard what she said and I have to defend Cassie”  
Jon frowned “Why?”  
“Because she is my friend” Rose said strongly “And yours too” a bitter laugh left his lips and he could feel the girl’s gaze fixed on him. A friend would have helped him when he arrived at the Wall, friends didn’t insult each other or ignore each other and surely friends talked about one another.  
“Derya didn’t lie” Rose said after a minute of silence “Cassie seems like that from the outside and I would be lying if I say that she is an example of kindness but…” Jon noticed Rose’s eyes watering, like she wanted to say something but she couldn’t “She cares about people, she will never admit it but she does. That’s why she acts like that”  
“What do you mean?” Jon asked confused.  
“I’m sorry, this is not my place to say” she answered with an apology look “But trust my words. There are reasons why Wylly and I are her friends and believe me when I say that she cares about you” she then put her hand on his “Cassie doesn’t let people in, but I’m afraid that many reasons made her become like this” Rose then stood up and walked away.  
The day was passing, it was already late afternoon and the wind was rising. Jon hadn’t spoken for the rest of the day, his mind was to busy. Rose’s words easyed his thoughts, but another part of himself was worried for Cassie. Now that he was thinking about it, Cassie had never spoken about herself. She never talked about her family, not even ones and judging by how she acted the last time in Winterfell, she didn’t get along with them not even with Lord Tyrion, who Jon found please to talk to. She had never spoken about the Wall or beyond the Wall, what it was like. She had never spoken even about Wylliana and Rose.  
“Cassandra destroyed you” Pyp laughed at Sam helping him to remove the armor.  
“Well… Not that… I am this… great worrior” seeing them struggle to get the armor off, Jon walked closer to them to help.  
“Thanks” Sam said once freed from the metal cloth, Jon forced a smile and went to take off his. One by one every men left the armory leaving just Jon with Sam. His friend was just standing there looking at Jon.  
“You can go if you want” Jon knew how much Sam liked be inside the walls of Castle Black, shaltered from the cold.  
“No, I’m alright” Sam said with a smile “Are you?” Jon turned to him. That boy was smart and kind and Jon was glad he had met him, they were becoming friends everyday more. It was nice to have someone to trust to.  
“I don’t know” after saying that Jon told Sam what had happened that day, what Derya and Rose had told him and how his friendship with Cassie has grown over the years and how confused he now was about her behavior. He felt better saying out loud what he had in his mind.  
“Actually I find her nice” Sam said sitting on a bench.  
Jon frowned at those words “She is never nice to you, Sam. She always treats you badly” Cassie had done it even that day. She had told Sam that he would have died soon, she always made comments like those.  
“She didn’t even helped you to stand up” Jon continued “And your ankle was hurt”  
“Yes, but she doesn’t do it to umiliate me, Jon” Sam stated calmly “She doesn’t laugh at me” Jon thought about that and Sam was actually right. Cassie had never even smirked like others had done.  
“Of course she is a bit harsh” Sam said with a small smile “But I know that she is only trying to help. I mean, after what happened I’m sure she knows what is best”  
Jon frowned at those words “After what happened?”   
Sam looked at him with wide eyes “You don’t know?” He asked and Jon only got closer to his friend, not understanding “Oh I thought that… Since she is your friend she had told you”   
I thought she was, Jon thought bitterly. How could he call her like that if she had never talked about important things of hers.  
“Cassandra is a very talented Keeper” Sam started to say looking around to be sure nobody was there “And she was one of the only two girls to go beyond the Wall at the age of nine in centuries” Sam’s eyes were glowing like Sansa’s and Bran’s when they talked about the stories their Father had told them. Jon was impressed and he couldn’t believe Cassie had never told him. “She had gone with a party. They were just few, not many, but something must have gone wrong because Cassandra was the only one who survived, barely survived” Jon couldn’t hide his surprise to hear that. How strong was Cassie to being able to survive just at nine? Robb would have freak out of exitement, while Theon Greyjoy would have become green of envy if she had told them.   
“How do you know all of that?” Jon asked.  
Sam smiled “I read it in the library. They keep everything on parchement about the girls, especially skilled girls like Cassandra” Jon was impressed by his friend, he knew that Sam often went to read to escape the cold. Jon would have spent a whole day in his room than going in that dusty place, he wasn’t much of a reader.  
“Now you see why I trust your friend?” Sam said with a smile “You should stop being angry at her, she can’t be the same girl she is at Winterfell. As I’m sure you are not the same boy”   
Probably Sam was right, Cassie had spent all her life protecting the realm, she was skilled and strong. Maybe she had never talked about those stuff because she never thought that one of the Starks would ever been at the Wall. Jon of course didn’t agree with her metods but Cassie had always been very blunt on telling what she thought and she was more expert then him for sure. Jon knew that Cassie would have never say sorry, she had always been too proud and maybe for this time Jon should make the first step.  
He looked for her at lunch but she wasn’t in the great hall so he decided to ask to Wylliana and Rose. He knew the both of them shared a room with Cassie. The girls told him she was in her room. She was not hungry. Jon frowned at those words Cassie loved to eat.  
Jon had never been in the Keepers’ section of Castle Black, not that it was different from men’s, dark and cold, but he felt a bit embarassed when girls exited their room to go have lunch. He was supposed to be used to girls’ presence due to his three sisters, but being in a section of women who were not his siblings made him slitly unconfortable.  
“Jon, hi!” A cheerful voice made him turn. Hydi was there smiling at him like always. That girl was maybe a few years older than Arya and sometimes she reminded his little sister to him. He missed all his brothers but Arya was the one he missed most and sometimes it was difficult to be near that girl.  
“Hi” he answered with a small smile.  
“Why are you here?” She asked curiosly like always.  
“I was looking for Cassie” he said looking around him “But… I don’t know where her room is” the corridor was full of doors and mostly of them were closed, he couldn’t knock on each of them.  
Hydi let out a light laugh “Turn left at the end of the corridor, her room is the third on the right” she said pointing her finger showing him were to go.   
“Thank you, Hydi” the girl smiled widely and when he turn to go away she called him again.  
“Where is Puffy?” Jon smiled at her question, knowing who she was talking about.  
“Sam’s in the library” Hydi nodded with happy eyes.  
“He promised to teach me how to write my name” She said before starting to run away “See you later, say Cassie hi”  
Jon observed the girl disappearing around a corner, smiling to himself. She was honestly the happiest girl at the Wall, most were very silent, it was nice to have someone who laughed so much around.  
He followed Hydi’s direction and he found himself outside Cassie’s door. It was ajar and Jon could see her sitting on her bed, she was looking at her needlework in her hands. He didn’t know she could sew. She seemed very focused on the piece of black cloth where she was sewing on. It wasn’t clear what she was trying to embroider, but from the look on her face Jon could tell she wasn’t satisfied.  
“Fuck!” Cassie exlaimed suddenly. Her needlework was on the ground and she brought her finger to her lips. Jon smiled shooking his head.  
“Hydi, I told you. I’m not hungry, go away!” Cassie exclaimed looking at the door. Jon opened it, stepping in the room making Cassie frown.  
“Hi” he said.  
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jon shook his head at her but before he could answer his gaze fell behind Cassie. On her bed there was a doll, a stuffed doll with a blue dress and dasies on it. He knew that doll.  
“I can’t believe it” he said with a smile “Is that Daisy?” His father always give his daughters dolls like that, Antea had one with roses on her dress. He didn’t think she had brought it to the Wall.  
Cassie gasped and turning in a quick movement she covered the doll with her pillow. Jon looked at her confused, what was she doing?  
The girl looked at him again like nothing has happened and putting her hands on her hips she asked “What do you want, Jon?”   
There were many things that he wanted to ask her, starting with why she had hidden Daisy, but he didn’t want to argue so he pushed all his question aside.  
“I just..” He started taking a breath “I’m really sorry about our argument” Cassie looked at him surprised.  
“Are… Are you really?” She asked softly crossing her arms over her chest.  
“Of course” he said nodding his head “You are my friend” Cassie let a small smile appear on her face, but she turn away from him “I’m sorry I judged without knowing. Not thinking that you had reasons”  
Cassie looked at him again blinked her eyes in confusion “Reasons?”  
Jon nodded his head “Why hadn’t you never told me about your first time beyond the Wall?”   
In that moment Cassie froze, her eyes looked him up and down and her hands closed in fists, they were so thight that her knockle had become white.  
“How do you know about that?” She asked with wide eyes.  
“It’s written in the library” he answered unsure when he saw her turning her back at him and walking to the window.  
“You should’t have known that” she said.  
Jon frowned “Why?”  
“Because it is none of your business” she exclaimed “It’s none of anyone’s business!” Jon got closer to her, he wasn’t understanding what was going on.  
“Why, Cassie?” He asked softly “What you did was impressive, being able to do what you did just at nine is…”  
“You are an idiot” Cassie said but before she could walk away Jon stopped her by the arm. She turned to him surprised and angry “Let me go”  
“No” he exclaimed “No, if you don’t tell me what is happening to you” Cassie shook her head looking angrily at her feet “Cassie talk to me” he was so confused by her, why was she so angry?   
Cassie took her arm away from his grip “Do you want to know how impressive it was?” She said looking at him in the eyes, but there was something different in her gaze.  
“The day lady Eloyse told me I was going beyond the Wall, it had been probably one of the best days if my life, I couldn’t wait to write to my parents to let them know, to make them proud” she said taking a breath “But it wasn’t the only reason. The same day lady Eloyse told the same thing to Aesteria. She was thirteen, I was nine and we both couldn’t wait to defend the Seven Kingdoms” Cassie laughed strangely “I remember that Rose was very worried about the both of us, but we laughed at her, telling her that we were ready and we would have been back soon” Jon didn’t know why, but he seemed unable to smile.  
“We went beyond the Wall with two Keepers and two rangers” she kept saying “The mission was simple, it was so simple, Aesteria and I had to spy on a small group of wildlings, just watch them and we did, but we didn’t know we have been watched too” Jon looked Cassie’s eyes fixed in frot of her “They followed us to our camp without us realizing it, but they were more, so many more. And they attacked us at night. I didn’t know what to do, in a moment I had forgotten everything that I knew.  
“Suddenly I heard someone screaming and Lauren was on the ground. Her throat was cut and her empty eyes were looking at me. In that moment I realized I was going to die, but I didn’t want to. And when three wildlings surrounded me, I fight them.   
“Just like Sandor had thought me, or me or them. I choose me” then she turned to look at Jon “That was the first time I killed a man” Jon bit his lip, she was just nine.  
“Hugo come to me telling me to run away” Cassie said “The Keepers are always the first to be killed. So I run to help Aesteria, something slashed my side but I kept running taking her by the hand. I don’t know for how much we ran and for how much they followed us, but suddenly Aesteria fell at my feet. An arrow on her back, another on her leg. She screamed to me to run away. But I couldn’t. She was the first friend I made at the Wall” Cassie’s eyes watered “So I dragged her in the snow. I could hear their steps but I couldn’t see them, I couldn’t see anything. So I layed down covering the both of us with snow and dirt. Only in that moment I realized they had hurt my side, but I couldn’t move to see how bad it was. I could just hold Aesteria’s hand. I still don’t know how they didn’t found us, but when I moved I realized that Aesteria was dead” Jon’s hands moved to cover his mouth “I stayed by her side all day, nobody would have found me, I was alone. I was tired and wonded. I just wanted to die” Cassie’s hands shook slitly but she stopped them immediately “But then, I choose myself again. I walked in the snow for days, I don’t even remember how many. But I arrived at the Wall, Benjen found me in the snow. When I came back, it was night and the first thing that was asked to me was if I remembered the Wildlings’ plans” Cassie turned again towards Jon, her eyes were watering but they were cold “That day I understood that nobody cares about you. Nobody saved me, I saved myself, but there was nothing heroic about it, I just wanted to live” She stated “See, how impressive I was” Cassie said bitterly “How this all place is. Nobody will care if you live or die. You are not a soldier, you are just the first who will die”  
Jon looked at her, his eyes were full of tears. He could just think about his always happy little friend running for her life alone and in the cold.   
“Cassie..” He said stepping closer to her. But she moved away.  
“Get out” Cassie said turning away from him.  
Jon looked at her and a tear rolled down his cheek “Cassie… I’m so sorry”  
“Just get out” at her words Jon moved walked away and while closing the door he looked at his friend, who had never been so broken.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, everyone! Happy new year!! Here for you a new chapter.**

**As always I do not own anything but my OCs, everything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

**Thank you so much for following my story!**

 

ANTEA

Days had passed from the moment Antea’s mother had been able to capture the Imp. Antea could still picture his shocked face and it gave her a sense of victory.

 _What’s a man if he doesn’t have honor?_ Lannisters didn’t have honor and Tyrion Lannister made no exception.

They had been riding for days, but Antea didn’t know where they were going. That wasn’t the road that lead to Winterfell, but her mother refused to talk about that near the Imp, who had been blinded with a hood since they had left the inn in the Riverlands.

She had to admit she almost felt sorry for him when the rain was pouring and the fabric of the hood was so wet to stick against the man of Lannister’s face. Sometime Antea turned to be sure he was still breathing. But then she remembered the dagger and what it was supposed to be done with it and suddenly she didn’t feel that sorry anymore for the man behind it all.

“M’lady, is everything alright?” Marrillon asked riding next to Antea “Riding must be exhausting for you”

 “I lived my life on the back of an horse” she said remembering all the times she had raced with Robb and Jon in the Wolf’s Wood “I like riding more than walking”

Marillon laughed at that “I should create a story out of that”

It was exactly for this that Marillon had followed them. He said he had seen the beginning of an adventure and he wanted to see the end. His presence wasn’t necessary but more men they had, the better.

Not many men had decided to follow the lady Stark, but they seemed loyal enough. Well not all of them.

Two of them were cutthroats, Antea didn’t catch their names, but one of them loved to say what was on his mind everytime he could. She tried to stay as far away from him and his companion as she could.

Shadow fallowed the party unseen and when they were in the Riverlands she often went in the deep of the forest and cought them something to eat, but now they were surrounded by montains and it wasn’t easy to find something. Nor for Shadow, nor for them. They had to eat even the Lannister’s horse at some point.

It was maybe just after noon when the party stopped to take a rest, but her mother didn’t give the order to unblind the little lord of Lannister. She just went to Ser Rodrick to talk to him. Antea wanted to know what they were saying so bad, but the situation was pretty serious and she didn’t want to upset her mother, so she just set down with the other men who were talking to each other. While hearing their discussions, that went from hunting to their lords’ holdfasts, Antea set there with a piece of parchment and a charcoals, she didn’t even know why she brought them, maybe for an habit that she had with her little brothers. Especially Arya. When the two of them rode around Winterfell they stopped to rest or play and they usually draw what was before them and then they went back and Arya would show it to their parents. She described what they did like it had been an adventure. The thought of her little sister made her smile sadly. She would have liked to see her in King’s Landing and hug her. She and Sansa too, of course.

 “My lords” her mother’s voice made everyone stop and stand up “Please, take Tyrion Lannister to me and unblind him”

Antea stood up and walked to her mother whose gaze was fixed on the Imp. She was worried, Antea could see it on her face. She couldn’t deny to be a little worried too, they’ve already lost three horses and everyone was starting to get tired of travelling. Antea didn’t want for those men to change their minds and leave them alone in those montains.

Antea looked back to the little Lannister; the hood was yanked off his head and he blinked his eyes rapidly trying to see what was around him. She didn’t miss the look of pure shock on his face when he looked at the montains above them.

“This is the High Road, the Eastern Road” he exclaimed no pleased at all lookin at Antea’s mother “You said we were riding Winterfell”

Her mother smiled with fake sweetness “Often and loudly” she said “I’m sure your friends are heading North, by now. I wish them good speed” Antea’s lips curled in a proud smile. Her mother did fantastic, no one would have imagined they were there, so they didn’t even have to worry that Lannister men would come after them. And she couldn’t even deny that the expression of pure hate that Tyrion Lannister had on his face made her even prouder of her mother.

Ser Willis Wode took the man of Lannister and made him sit on a rock. The man was so angry that he didn’t even protest at the treatment he was reciving.

“Let’s rest for a moment” her mother announced to everyone “We’ll leave soon” Antea watched the men get back to their sits before her mother turned to her “Go take some rest”

“What about you?” Antea asked.

“I’m fine, but I have to speak to Ser Rodrick” she said “Go take a sit” Antea nodded lightly but before she could walk away she turned to her mother “I didn’t know you have it in you” her proud smile never leaving her face “What you did… I didn’t see it coming. It was impressive”

Catelyn smile at her daughter “Go”

Antea laughed quitly before sitting back in her previous position. She put the piece of parchment on her lap once again and she started writing down. Sometimes she looked up from what she was doing and her eyes fell on the Imp who observed her with his different coloured eyes. Antea tried not to pay much attention to him, the last thing she wanted was to talk to him.

“What are you doing, m’lady?” Mohor, one of the men travelling with them, asked. It was funny how sweet he spoke to her and how rude he could be with the Lannister “Everytime we stop, you set down and write”

“Probably a poem” the eloquent cutthroat said with a laugh “A love one maybe, you girls do it, don’t you?” that made some of the men laugh, even the little Lannister.

“What is your name, again?” Antea asked calmly before looking up from what she was writing.

“Still don’t know it?” he asked mockingly.

Antea took a breath fixing her dress “It must have slipped from my attention” she said looking back at the man “My father always says that the words are a powerful weapon, but sometimes people abuse of them, and the meaningful parts just slip away like they are nothing” the man eyed her up and down “So please, what is your name?”

“Bronn”

“Now I won’t forget” she said.

“Careful with her” Tyrion Lannister spoke glancing at her again “She is a she-wolf, not so different from her mother”

Antea looked at him with cold eyes before looking back at Mohor “I’m writing a letter, Mohor”

“To who, m’lady?” asked Marillon with curiosity, strumming his arp every now and then.

Antea looked back at the words she had wrote down and with a finger she caressed Robb’s name. It’s been days that she wrote to her brother, she knew she couldn’t send them, but it gave her comfort pretending to talk to him. It gave her courage and positivity. She always wrote down what they were doing, how her days were going and that she missed him. Home was far from where she was, she knew. All those montains weren’t part of the North. Antea wondered if they were fine; Robb, Rickon, Maester Luwin, Cyel, Phelya and Theon. She asked herself if Bran was awake. She asked all of that in her letters imagining Robb sending a raven back saying that everything was fine and that Bran had recovered. She wanted that so much. Her gaze then fell on the little lord of Lannister.

 _He should pray for that too,_ Antea thought, _him and his family with him._ There wouldn’t even be a quick death if her little brother didn’t make it, she swear it to all the gods she knew.

“Not to me, I presume” Tyrion said.

She glance at him again “You won’t ever get kind words from me, Lannister”

“Should I feel wounded about that?” he asked almost mockingly.

“I don’t care” she answered before she turned her gaze to see her mother approach them with Ser Rodrick and Ser Willis Wode deep in conversation.

“We will lose more than horses if we’re overtaken by the Lannisters” her mother said with determination in her voice.

“Small chance of that here” at Tyrion’s voice Antea rolled her eyes. He had been sit with them just few minutes and he was talking like they all actually wanted to hear what he had to say “This is a cruel land, Lady Stark” the man kept saying “You’ll find no succor until you reach the Vale, and each horse you lose burdens all of them more and more. Worse, you risk losing me. I am  small, not strong and if I die, then what’s the point?”

“Your death is the point, Lannister” Antea’s mother said coldly.

“I think not” the man argued with wit “ If you wanted me dead, you could have said the word, but you didn’t”

“Starks do not murder men in their beds” Catelyn said solemnly.

“Or children” Antea added eyeing the Imp.

“Nor do I” he was so convinced that she could have actually belived him “I had no part in the attempt to kill your son” Antea shook her head at those words, why did he kept dening?

“The assassin was armed with your dagger” her mother exclaimed.

“It was not my dagger” he insisted almost standing up “Lady Stark, if you believe me or not it doesn’t matter, but I am not a stupid man and you know it. Only a fool would arm someone with his own blade” Antea flinched when he spoke. It was actually strange. That cutthroat was alone in a castle full of guards, even if he had been able to succed with his purpose, he could be caught easly and the blade would have fastly revealed whose that dagger belonged to. Or maybe Tyrion was just trying to confuse them. He was a cunning man, good at twisting his words where he wanted them.

“Why would Petyr lie to me?” Antea’s mother said, even in her voice there was doubt.

“Why does a bear shit in the woods? Because it is his nature” Tyrion argued, his face red “Lying comes as easly as breathing to a man like Littlefinger. You of all people must know that” Antea frowned at those words searching immediately her mother’s eyes, but she saw her confused as she was.

“And what does that mean?” Catelyn asked stepping forward.

Tyrion looked at her studing her face “Every man at court has heard him tell how he took your maidenwood, my lady” Antea’s eyes widend and her cheeks flushed with red.

“That’s a lie!” her mother said.

Everyone seemed shocked and ready to kill the Imp for what he had said. Was he lying? _Of course he is,_ Antea thought. But then her mind went back to the short man with the pointy beard and shiny green-grey eyes, and how they lingered on her mother. Antea could tell he was vicious, but doing something like that was too much even for someone like him. Or not?

“Mother” Antea muttered under her breath.

“Petyr Baelish loved me once” Catelyn said with a cold voice “His passion was a tragedy for all of us, but it was pure and real, and you won’t mock that” Antea was sure that as a boy it was like that, but Littlefinger’s eyes really couldn’t leave her mind “He wanted my hand. That’s what happened. You are truly an evil man, Lannister”

“And you are truly a fool, Lady Stark” Tyrion argued “Littlefinger has never loved anyone but Littlefinger, and I promise you that it is not your hand that he wants. It’s those ripe breasts, the sweet mouth and the heat between your legs”

Suddenly Kurleket grabbed Tyrion’s hair and yanked his head back putting his sword against his bare neck.

“Shall I bleed him, my lady?” he asked in a rough voice.

“No wait” Antea found herself saying and all the gazes fell on her “He might be lying but he surely knows something. If we kill him the truth could die with him. Mother..”

Catelyn looked back at her daughter studing her face, then she turned to the Imp “Let him talk”

Kurleket let go his grasp and when he was free Tyrion’s gaze fixed on the young lady, he was surprised but thankful and Antea hoped she did the right thing.

“How did Littlefinger tell you I came by this dagger?” He asked with his breath labored.

Catelyn’s eyes never left the man before her “You won it from him in a wager”

“You bet against your brother” Antea said remembering well her disgust knowing that for money he had bet on another man instead of his own brother.

“Against the Kinght of Flowers, when my brother was unhoarsed” Tyrion said with his eyes travelling between Antea and her mother “That was his story, no?”

“It was” her mother admitted, but before Tyrion could say something horses’ steps echoed between the montains.

“Riders!” Antea turned her head to see riders approach them.

Her body froze in fear, those men weren’t men of Lannisters, but they were dangerous nonetheless. They were covered in fur and they were armed, yelling at them. Her mother ran to her sheltering her with her body.

“Antea, we need to find somewhere to hide” she exclaimed pulling her. Antea was looking around her, their men were armed, even Tyrion Lannister and his two men had been freed to fight against their attackers. They were approaching fast, there was twenty of them, so many more than them.

“Come on, Antea!” her mother was able to push her behind a rock and she hugged her.

Antea could hear all their men screaming the name of their holdfasts. Robb had told her that that gave courage to the troopes. How could it gave strength? The thought of a place that possibly they wouldn’t have seen again. Sounds of blades hitting against blade made her yelp in fear. Screams and yelling echoed around her. Was that what men were trained for? Was that that one day Robb, Jon, her little brothers and Theon would have to face?

A piercing scream made her cover her ears and the sound of a body hitting the ground made her shiver.

“Mother” she said in a whisper “I am scared” Catelyn hugged her close.

“I know, Antea, but now I need you to be brave” she said looking Antea in the eyes “We won’t be unnoticed for long. I need you to run over there” the girl’s eyes fell on a rock a few feet away “We need to move, alright?” Antea shooked her head in fear “You can do it. I know you can” Catelyn said “Be brave” Antea looked how much determination there was in her mother’s eyes and nodding her head she moved from her mother’s arms and watched the road to find the right moment to move. When she find it safer Antea run out heading to the rock that her mother had pointed at. From were she was it seemed closer. Her heart was beating fast and her legs were burning in fear. Suddenly she heard a yell right next to her and an horse approach, she was so close. Was she going to die? But then nothing, the horse passed by her with no one on it. Antea hid behind the rock and when she looked back she saw Shadow bearing her teeth and growling to anyone who got close to Antea’s hidden place. At her direwolf’s feet there was one of the attackers but his fur was covered in red. His own blood. She looked Shadow attacking another man and she suddenly felt safe.

“Thank you” she muttered. But then she heard a yell and she saw her mother trapped against a rock by two men. Fear rushed over the girl who called for her mother. They were about to kill her in front of her eyes. But in a moment Shadow had killed one of them, with her mouth around his neck and the other fell down injured to a leg by Tyrion Lannister. Her mother moved quickly and she killed the man before her.

Fastly the enemies disappeared, they could be dead or have fleed, Antea didn’t care. She run out from her place and went to hug her mother, a few tears fell from her eyes while her mother was stroaking her hair affectionately.

“You did good, Antea” she said letting her go and gently wiping the girl’s tears with her finger.

Antea smiled to her mother, before turning to Shadow who was looking at her fondly “You are truly a blessing, Shadow” she said kneeling in front of her direwolf patting her head “You saved me and my mother. Thank you so much” Shadow waved her tail starting to lick Antea’s hand with care.

“I don’t get a thank you, my lady?” Antea turned to see Tyrion Lannister behind her with an exhausted grin.

“Don’t push too much, Lannister” the girl said standing up “But you saved my mother. I don’t know why you did it, but you did it. I won’t forget that” she pet Shadow’s head to make her follow her to Catelyn, that was helping Ser Rodrick.

“As will I” Tyrion’s words made her turn with a questioning look “You saved my life, my lady. I won’t forget it. A Lannister always pays his debts”

“You’d better remember it” she said before turning to walk away.

What was before her made her blood run cold again, they had lost so many men, so many lives. Many of those men were talking with her just a few moments before. It was so strange, so sad. Did they have a family? Brothers or mothers? A wife and children weaping over them? They had joined them even if they didn’t have to and they had died to protect them.

She was glad Theon didn’t come with her, he would have fight for them and she couldn’t bare the thought of him lifeless on the ground for saving her life.

They had to move, Ser Willis Wore was sure that soon they could get attacked again. Her mother wanted to bury the bodys of their men, but everyone spoke against it, saying that they didn’t have time and sadly they were right. Antea would have prayed to all the gods she knew for them and their families.

Her mother even decided to let Tyrion Lannister have the axe he had faught with during the attack, it was wise if those men attacked them again they needed to be ready.

They set off again carefully and fastly, wanting to arrive at the Vale as soon as possible. Shadow didn’t disappeared she walked closely to Antea sniffing the air around her. They weren’t that far from where they were attacked when they heard growls of shadowcats, they fastened their walk, they didn’t need another attack.

Antea was riding next to her mother when the lord of Lannister appeared at her side with his horse.

“Anyway as I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, Lady Stark. There is a serious flaw in Littlefinger’s tale” Antea and her mother turned to the man “Whatever you may believe, I promise you this: I never bet against my family” he then turned to Antea like he was sure she knew he wasn’t lying. No one could bet against his own brother.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, everyone! Here for you a new chapter. I’m working fast these days.**

**As always I do not own anything but my OCs, everything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

**Enjoy!!!**

CYEL

“Happy nameday, my sweet Cyel” Cyel opened her eyes at the sound of her mother’s sweet voice. That day was her twelfth nameday. The girl rubbed her eyes with her hands before opening them fully and when she noticed her mother she set quickly on the bed.

“Mother” she said when her eyes fell on the plate full of food “You sould rest and you know it”

Her mother shook her head “It’s been days” she said with a smile “The fever is gone and I’m sure that going in the kitchen can’t hurt me that much” then she gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead “Plus it is my sun’s special day”

Cyel smiled taking her mother’s hand “You shouldn’t push yourself too much” Phelya let out a light laugh.

“I won’t” she swore “We’re eating and then I’ll lay down again” Cyel nodded satisfied and taking her plate she started to break her fast. Her mother always brought her food the morning of her nameday and with it even two waffles. They were just for her but the girl always gave one to her mother who loved sweets as much as her daughter.

“Sometimes I forget who is the mother and who is the daughter” Phelya said with a smile playing with Cyel’s hair. The girl had always loved when her mother did that, especially when she had nigthmares when she was little. She put her head on her mother’s lap and fell asleep while her mother caressed her hair and sang a song that Cyel’s father had taught her.

Cyel smiled at her mother’s words. Indeed since Phelya got ill, Cyel had become very strict. She kept an eye on her at night, she brought her food and brushed her hair. She wanted to ease Phelya from any thought or problem. Like she did when Cyel was sick.

“I don’t have a present, sweety, I’m so sorry” Phelya said after a moment of silence, but Cyel shook her head.

“There is no need” she said turning to her mother, she was already feeling better. There wasn’t anything more that she could give her.

“Thank you, but..” Phelya said hugging her daughter “When Maester Luwin will say I am fool recovered, I’ll take you and the others on the hill so you can see the fireflies” Cyel turned to her mother with a bright smile. She was six when her mother had took Cyel and the Stark children to see the fireflies for the first time. They appeared suddenly in the dark and after a few moments Cyel felt like she was surrounded by countless of candles flying in the air. It had been so beautiful and so fun, because all of them had played for hours trying to catch them. That was one of the memories she held most dear; the lights, the laughter.

“Thank you, mother” her mother gave a kiss on her daughter’s forehead “Now you need to dress” Phelya said with a joyful voice “It’s your day, you can’t spend all of it in bed” Cyel laughed standing up.

She decided to pick a golden dress with a skirt whose patter reminded an autumn foliage. Her hair were covering her shoulders and at the side of her face she made a braid and around her neck she put a golden neckless that her uncle Doran had sent to her for her last birthday. She was finishing to brush her hair, when a knock came from the door.

“Come in” Phelya said fixing the fur covers aroud her.

The door opened to reveal Maester Luwin with Thom and Beatrice, two servant who were bringing four boxes “Good morning, my ladies” the old maester said while Cyel went to take a box from Beatrice’s hands with a smile.

“Here, let me help” she said while the girl bowed her head.

“A very happy name day, Cyel” Maester Luwin said happly, he had always loved namedays, he said they made everyone in a better mood.

“Thank you, maester” Cyel answered sweetly.

“These are from Dorne, I presume” Phelya said looking at the boxes that now were on the table next to the window.

“Three of them are” the maester said nodding his head “And the other is from your brother, lady Phelya” Cyel smiled thanking again.

“We’ll leave you now” maester Luwin announced “Robb wishes to see you after you’ve done here, for a walk in the gardens”

“I’ll be there” she said bowing her head in thanks. The man smiled at her again and then went out closing the wooden door.

Cyel decided to open her uncle’s Ahmet present first. Her uncle was her mother’s younger brother, now lord of Thornhill. He was married and blessed with two sweet sons, they were twins, and they were three like Rickon. He was a very lively person, as much as his sister, goofy even. He was short, but he was very skilled with bow and arrows and he really loved the color blue, everything he wear was blue.

Cyel opened her present and smiled when she saw a blue dress, with roses embroyed on it. It was truly beautiful.

Then she moved to her next present, but she decided to open her uncle’s gift first. She open the small box to see a golden hairnet with orange perls on it. She really missed her uncle. In the last period he wasn’t feeling very well due to his gaut, he barely could stand up, but his spirit was higher as always. He was a smart man, very smart, but he rarely said what he had in mind. He ruled over Dorne rightfully and wisely. Arianne was his eldest daughter and heir to Dorne, she was very different from Cyel. She was confident of herself and she was a great talker, she was able to enchant whoever was listening. When Cyel went to Dorne, Arianne always spent time with her, playing and talking, even about boys. She always wanted to know if Robb was a good looking guy. Cyel always felt embarrassed at first, but Arienne was so sweet to her, she always said she missed her ninth Sand Snake. Cyel always smiled at that name. It seemed like a warrior name, like most of her sisters will surely become. She didn’t know if she fit in that, but her uncle Doran always said that Cyel shouldn’t doubt it; she had her father’s eyes, like all her sisters. She was a Sand Snake, the White Snake they called her.  Trystane, Arianne’s brother, was very sweet and he and Cyel often swimmed together with Cyel’s youngest sisters.

Then she turned to her last presents, those from her father. He gave to her a new dress and a ring shaped as a snake. She then took the letter that he had wrote her and opened it carefully.

_My sweet Cyel,_

_I wish you a very happy nameday._

_Another year has passed and I can’t believe you are growing up so fast. I miss you, dear one, everyday._

_Here everyone misses you dearly and can’t wait for your next visit. Elia and Dorea wanted to leave for the North, we had to stop them from taking an horse._

_Lorenza and Obella had made you a crown of flowers, it is here waiting for you._

_I hope your mother is feeling better, I wish I could be there to help you. Ellaria said that the hot weather could help her, but I know how much the both of you love the North._

_I wish to hear from you soon, my dear. But not today. Today is your day, I can wait._

_I love you dearly, Father._

 

Cyel smiled before giving a kiss to the piece of parchment. She really wanted for her father to be there, it had been too much time since the last time she had seen him. They always dance together at dinner, knowing how much she loved to dance, and he always told her about those lands far across the sea, promising her that one day they would go there together.

Cyel put the dresses in her closet and her jewels in the wooden chest she had on her desk. Then she stood up, she gave her mother a kiss and went to find Robb. She wanted to see him before her lessons with Dorena, so after that she could go spend some time with Bran.

She walked through the corridors  of Winterfell, were people were already working and when she passed by they bowed their head wishing her a happy nameday. It was always strange that day for her, being so much in the center of attention in Winterfell. The servants were always kind and on her nameday they always made her toasted bread and another waffle, it was like she was part of the Stark family.

Cyel found Robb in the gardens playing with Grey Wind “Good day, my lord” Cyel bowed with a smile, when Robb turned. He groaned before laughing “Not you, too” he said before walking to her and giving her a kiss on the forehead “Happy nameday, Cyel” she thanked him before they started walking together.

 “Is your mother alright?” Robb asked turning to her.

“Yes” Cyel answered happly “It’s been almost three weeks and she is almost fully recovered”

“You should wrote Father this” Robb said in an happy voice “He really wanted to know how Phelya was” Cyel couldn’t help but smile at this, her lord was always so kind to them. She surely would write to him as soon as she could.

Suddenly they heard footsteps and they saw Rickon running with Shaggydog followed by a very angry Theon who was yelling at them to come back. At the sight, Cyel and Robb brusted in laughters.

“Oh no, poor Theon” she said trying to control her breathing. Rickon was difficult and he liked to make Theon angry. Angry Theon had always been funny for them, even Bran did everything he could to make a prank to him.

“I really wish Bran was here” she said keeping looking at Theon. Now Bran needed help almost for everything, so in the morning he was always the last one to arrive, even because he still didn’t have something he could moved with.

“Cyel” Robb’s voice made her turn “I really wanted to thank you, for what you are doing with my brothers” she smiled.

“There is no need”

He shook his head “Always modest, but really. You stay with Rickon and you are helping Bran a lot. I’m so busy that I barely see them”

“You are the lord of Winterfell” she said hearing how sad he was. Rickon may get angry but some company it was all he needed for him to feel better, Bran was another story. Some days were better then others, but sometimes he was just in bad mood and he became very quiet. But there was nothing more that Bran loved more than his sibilings “Bran knows that, he does” she nodded smiling “He had told me you promised that the both of you will go to the Wall to see Jon and that it will be an adventure”

“Did he?” he said surprised.

Cyel nodded “He asked me to come with you”

Robb laughed “It doesn’t surprise me, he loves to have you around” Cyel put a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“The same goes for me” she said without looking Robb. Then her gaze fell on Maester Luwin not too far from them who was talking to Mikken, the blacksmith. Mikken was very skilled and when they were kids Robb, Jon and Theon always went to him to see him work.

“Is that Bran?” she asked noticing Hodor in Mikken’s emporium, but the sweet stableboy was so tall that Cyel couldn’t see his head.

“I think so” Robb said before following Cyel to where everyone was. When she got closer she heard Bran laughing happly and she couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

“It is perfect, Mikken” she heard Bran say “Thank you”

“Anything, my little lord” Mikken said bowing is head.

When Cyel was close enough she knocked at the wooden entrance, to announce her presence. As she step in Hodor granted her with an happy “Hodor!”

“Good day” she said with a smile, then she turned to Bran “Good day, my lord”

“Cyel, hi!” he exclaimed “Happy nameday” she looked at his face, his lips curled in a genuine smile. She thanked him bowing her head before Robb asked “Is something happening?” even Cyel had noticed they were all smiling.

“Your saddle is ready” she guessed hopefully, knowing how much Bran missed riding. The boy immediately looked at Mikken with curious eyes “My saddle is ready?” he asked curiously.

Mikken gave out a laugh “No, my little lord, I would have told you”

“Oh.. yes, of course” he said with a timid smile, then he turend to Cyel “Cyel, are you busy after your lesson?”

“She is not busy even now” Robb said with a smile “She is all yours” then he turned to Maester Luwin “Maester, I need to talk to you”

The man bowed “Of course, my lord”

When they disappeared, Bran thanked Mikken again and asked Hodor to bring him to the Godswood. Cyel followed the sweet giant, talking with Bran and petting Summer’s head. The direwolf walked happly next to them. He was so quite, not like Shaggydog. Summer enjoyed to sit next to Bran, licking his hands every now and then.

The two children set down next to a tree, so that Bran could lay his back on it. He arrived to the tree alone and Cyel didn’t dare to ask him if he wanted help, knowing how much proud Bran was. She set graciously next to the boy who smiled at her. Hodor had went back to the castle.

“Heren told me your mother got up today” Bran said playing with the cloth of his trousers.

“Yes, she did” she answered with a smile.

“I’m glad” he said “If she feels better, I would like to go and see her”

Cyel looked at Bran greatful, he was so sweet “I’m sure she would like that”

He nodded with his head fixed on his legs “And you?”

Cyel blinked her eyes at the question, before searching Bran’s gaze “I would, yes” he looked up to her before curling his lips in a smile.

She returned the gesture before looking at the pools. It was becoming colder everyday a bit more so the hot steam was colored in a deep white against the cold wind.

“I wanted to give you something” he called for Hodor who had come back with a box in his hands. She smiled when the sweet stableboy put it in front of her.

“This is from my family, and Theon of course” Bran said “It has been ready for months now” Cyel opened it to see a beautiful grey cape with orange embroidery.

“Gods” she gasped looking at it “It is beautiful” it was perfect for the North weather, she couldn’t wait to wear it. She would have liked to thank all the Starks. She would write to Lord Stark and Jon as soon as possible. And she wished she could thank lady Catelyn and Antea too.

“Sansa and Antea choose it” Bran said, then he carefully put a hand in his pocket to take out a little leather bag, not bigger than his hand, and he gave it to her. She carefully accepted it with a little smile.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It…” he said looking down “It is from me” her eyes widened in surprise and she carefully opened it afraid of ruin it.

Inside there was a [neckless](https://www.google.it/search?biw=1280&bih=844&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=anpWWse0B5DEsAeljJzYDQ&q=snake+and+rose+neckless&oq=snake+and+rose+neckless&gs_l=psy-ab.3...72636.79881.0.80007.23.22.0.1.1.0.124.2092.16j6.22.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.15.1371...0j0i67k1j0i30k1j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1.0.mm2-4jDtd4Y#imgrc=suKluGP2Qj03kM:) and its pendant was beautiful. It was a blue rose whose stalk was interweaved by a golden snake. She looked at it with a smile.

After a moment of silence Bran lean over timidly “I know how much you like blue roses so..”

“It’s marvelous” she said turning to him giving him a kiss on the cheek “Thank you” Bran look down scrolling his shoulder, before smiling. She looked at him and then back at the pendant. It was what she liked, what she was. When her gaze fell on Bran she couldn’t believe he had done something so sweet and thoughtful for her. She took off her neckless and put on the new one. Then they set there talking and laughing like they had always done until Maester Luwin came to tell them it was time for their duties.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello! A new Antea’s chapter! What do you think about her? Let me know.**

**I do not own anything but my OC’s, everything else belongs to George R.R. Martin.**

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**Enjoy!!**

 

ANTEA

The last few days hadn’t been easy for the party. They got attacked other three times and they had lost most of their men. Ser Rodrick got seriously injured the last time that happened. The Imp was still in the world of the living but his two men, captive with him, died too. Antea was tired, she couldn’t manage to sleep at night, too afraid of another battle. Shadow didn’t disappear anymore, she stood close to the young lady, day and night.

The landscape around Antea grew desolate by the minute; the montains above them were huge and dark, the vegetation was barely visible. The only thing that gave Antea a bit of strength was the cool wind blowing against them between the rocks.

They were heading to the Eyrie, the ancient castle of House Arryn, lords of the Vale. Antea’s aunt Lysa set on that seat now, after the Lannisters killed her husband. Antea had seen her just once, but she was very young so she really didn’t remember her. She came to know that she was blessed with a son, named Robert, if Antea recalled correctly, but she had never seen him. _He is probably around Bran’s age_ , Antea thought.

Her eyes fell on the little lord of Lannister, wondering what her aunt would have done to him. His family killed her husband, she was certainly searching for revenge. But Antea hoped she wouldn’t give the order the moment they step in the room with the Imp; there were questions that needed answers.

Antea had thought about that dagger since what Tyrion had said; if he spoke the truth and he didn’t bet against his brother then Littlefinger had lied. She didn’t like Petyr Baelish, not one bit, but her mother knew him, they grew up together. It was like for her doubting of Theon. Even in Winterfell a lot of people talked about Theon Greyjoy; his attitude, his reputation with women, his House name… but even if he had his flaws, he was a good man and a good friend, she knew. So it didn’t matter if someone blamed him for something she would always believe in him. Antea was sure that that’s what was her mother was feeling and Antea trusted her mother. Moreover they didn’t know the little lord of Lannister, he could be saying anything to save his life.

“Ser Rodrick how do you feel?” Antea asked softly riding closer to the man who was getting paler and paler by the moment.

“No worries, my lady” he said in a thin voice, smiling tiredly at her “We’ll be at the Vale soon. There I will take some rest” Antea hoped that surely. Ser Rodrick had been a loyal friend of her family since before Antea was born, she didn’t want for him to die like this.

It took them a day to see what seemed like a knight leading a group of men. It had been so long that Antea widened her eyes at how shiny their armors were. The more they approached, the more Antea could see how the leading man looked like. He was young, not much older than her, maybe he was twenty; he got a large nose and brown hair. In her built a sense of security when she recognized the moon-and-falcon of House Arryn on their clockes and shields.

They were in a pass between the mountains, it was narrow and steep even if they had just begun their way up on the mount. For what she knew the Eyrie was at the very top of the Vale, so she was prepared on seeing more of those narrow passages in the near future.

“Who are you?” the young man asked with a strong voice.

Her mother set her horse at hold, making the last of them stop behind her “I’m Catelyn Stark” she announced solemnly and the young man made a bow, before looked surprised to them.

“I’m Ser Donnel Waynwood, my lady” he spoke “You should have sent a world of your coming. We would have sent an escort. The high road is not safe for a party as small as yours”

“A fact we came to know in our sorrow” Antea heard her mother said. In the last few days she had been quiter, pensive and Antea could always see an hard expression painted on her face. She always wondered what her mother was thinking, she whised she would make her part of her thoughts.

“The clans have grown bolder since Lord Jon died” Ser Donnel said almost sadly “If it was up to me, I would take a hundred men to the mountains and teached them some sharp lessons. But lady Lysa wants all her men in the Eyrie. She would not even permit her knights to fight in the Hand’s tourney. She wants all the sword here to defend… against what, no one is certain. Shadows, most say” from what Antea had learnt, she ran away from King’s Landing afraid the same people who murdered her husband would murder her and her son, but she remembered from what she had studied, that the Eyrei was probably the most difficult castle to attack and succed in trying it. Not only because it was on the top of the montains of the Vale but to defend it there was the Bloody Gate, that they were about to cross, the Gates of the Moon and then there were three waycastles: Stone, Snow and Sky. If someone had attacked, words of it would arrive to the Eyrie before invaders could arrive to the Gates of the Moon. Why would her aunt forced all her men to stay inside?

“Honest words does not offend me, Ser Donnel” Catelyn said knowingly before turning to the Imp for an instant. Antea followed her gaze and she noticed bitterly that the little golden haired was stick to the cuttroath Bronn. Since the other assassin had died the two of them were always together, chatting and laughing, it was becoming very stressful to have them around. Antea was sure her mother disliked such friendship as much as she did. The Imp was a cunning man and Bronn only wanted his purse to grow fat with gold, he wasn’t loyal to anyone but that.

Looking at the Imp he didn’t even seem a prisoner anymore, he rode, he talked, he laughed and he drank with them. He seemd more at his ease then Antea was.

They set off keeping their climb to the Bloody Gate escorted by all Ser Donnel’s party. Antea heard her mother ask for a maester to help Ser Rodrick, whose reins where held by Antea firmly in her hand, but Ser Donnel said that lady Lysa didn’t let the maester out of the castle to stay close to her son. Antea didn’t knew he was sick, she was sorry she didn’t knew.

When they arrived at the Bloody gate a knight rode towards them and Antea recognized the colors of his cloak, blue and red of Riverrun. Tully’s color. And pinned to his shoulder there was a brooch shaped as a shiny black fish. Just one person Antea knew was called the Black Fish, Breyden Tully, her mother’s uncle.

“Who would pass the Bloody Gate?”  he called.

“Ser Donnel Waynwood, with Lady Catelyn and her companions” the young knight announced.

“I thought the lady looked familiar” he said with a smile lifting the helm’s visor form his face “You are far from home, little Cat”

Antea saw her mother smile genuine after so long “And you Uncle”.

He laughed “Home is at my back”

“Your home is in my heart” her mother said sweetly. That made Antea’s mind went back to her uncle Benjen, she had seen him so rarely, but she loved him with every beats of her heart. He was kind and brave, and her father always smiled when he was at Winterfell.

The man took off his helm to reveal auburn hair stray with grey and happy blue eyes “Did Lysa know you where coming?”

“I’m afraid there was no time to send words” Catelyn told him.

After Breyden Tully gave his permission to enter the gate they started their climb lead by him. Behind the Bloody Gate there were waterfalls that rushed delicately against the rocks sparkling under the sun, far Antea could spot green fields and the clear blue sky. It was truly beautiful, so different from what it was before.

“And don’t think I didn’t noticed you, niece” Breyden’s voice made Antea turned to him and Catelyn smiled.

“Uncle, this is my eldest daughter Antea” Catelyn told him. It was the first time the girl saw her uncle, her mother had spoke about him of course, how impulsive he was and how much love she had for him, but Antea had never met the man and she was eager to know him.

“It is so nice to finally meet you” Antea said sweetly.

The man laughed “It is actually impressing how much of a mixture she is between you and Eddard, Cat” Catelyn observed her daughter for a moment before talk with the smile never leaving her lips “A bit more like her father I think, due her love for the north weather”

“She is a Stark, don’t forget it” Breyden said “But she rides like you did”

Antea turned to her mother “You loved to ride?”

Before her mother could answer, her uncle laughed “Ride, ran in the fields and came back covered in mud. Little Cat was a little explorer” Antea looked at her mother who was clearly remembering those days. The girl had never knew. She had always thought her mother had always been like Sansa, born the perfect lady she was now. She would tell that to Arya as first thing the next time she saw her. _There is hope for everyone,_ Antea thought.

They rode for long and Breyden asked Antea about her brothers, all of them and she felt so happy she could talk about her family. She told him everything could make him know his nephews best. And he told her about Riverrun and her mother’s family, while Catelyn let out a small laugh every now and then.

Soon Antea’s mother decide to let their companion rest since to reach the montain they should have ride until evenfall and to arrive to the Eyrie another day of travel was needed. But her mother decided that her, Antea and the Imp to go on, but soon Marillon asked to continue and Bronn with him. Catelyn looked at the cuttroath not to happy that he wanted to follow, but she couldn’t deny it to him if it was his wish.

Keep walking on the sharp path Antea looked down to see how Shadow was. Her black fur waved at the wind blows and her eyes seemed on fire, they seemed almost amber now that the sun was slowly starting to get down from the high, it was no long time before twilight. Antea didn’t want for her pup to get tired, but Shadow was marching closely to her horse, not caring about how disconnetted the ground was becoming. Antea tried her best not to let the sleep take the best of her; her mother asked her if she wanted to stay behind and rest, but she would arrive at the end of that journey. She wouldn’t leave her mother alone, she had promised Robb she would have taken care of her.

“I’m starting to feel weary. What about you, my lady?” Antea looked ahead of her when she heard Tyrion Lannister’s voice.

“Do you ever stop talking?” she asked taking a breath.

“Well, it is better than to stay quiet looking at the view” he said and she could already picture the grin that never left his face.

“Some people like that” she told him “Peace and quiet” Antea heard him laugh lightly at this.

“You are not a guest here” she said finally turning to him “Stop acting like one”

He frowned “I thought you were on my side” Antea almost take her horse at rest.

“I’m sorry, you thought I was where?” she asked astonished.

“Yes” he insisted “After we agreed that I wouldn’t bet against my brother”

“We” she started “Didn’t agreed anything” she couldn’t believe at how bold he was, or probably he just found her stupid and that thought made her hands clange around the reins.

“My lady, I assure you” he said “I would do anything for my brother and the same goes for him” She shook her head, she really didn’t want to listen to him “You surely understand how deep is the love between brothers”

At those words she stopped her horse hurshly making it block the passage for the Imp, who winced helding tightly the reins. Bronn behind him gasped in surprise and Marillon almost lose his arp  “You don’t get to speak about my brothers” she growled and soon Shadow followed her doing the same.

“I know what you are trying to do” she said coldly never leaving the little man’s eyes “I understand. You’ve seen me, a young girl, and surely thought that I could be easy to decive”

“Why would I do that?” he asked not pleased by her action, but she didn’t care.

“You are a cunning man, Tyrion Lannister” she said without looking away from him “And I’m lady Stark’s daughter; a good help for your life. But all you are giving here are smart, yet empty words and it’s not me you have to convince” she saw the look on the man of Lannister had on his face, similar to the one he gave to Catelyn when she had deceived him. Antea then kicked her horse to make it move again “Choose the words you are going to say carefully, Lannister. And in the mean time don’t speak about my brothers, not even remotely” she kicked her horse again and moved it to approach her mother and her uncle that had stopped further on the path.

“Antea, what happened?” she heard her mother say when she was close enough.

“Nothing” the girl answered.

Her mother studied her with her gaze, knowing perfectly that Antea was lying but after a moment she turned again to keep moving.

It was full dark when they arrived at the Gates of the Moon. It was guarded by the lead of Lord Nestor, that is what Breyden said, and from where they were if they looked up it was possible to spot the fireplaces that lead to the Eyrie.

 _It is so high, so far,_ Antea thought tiredly. Its beauty wasn’t visible for her at that time.

“If you planning to make us climb that mountain in the dark, I’d rather you kill me here” Tyrion Lannister said suddenly sharply.

“We’ll spend the night here. We’ll make the ascent on the morrow” Her uncle didn’t look at him when he spoke.

“How do we get up there?” Tyrion replied with a frown “I’ve no experience at riding goats” Antea passed an hand on her tired eyes. They could even had to fly on the back of a raven for what she cared at the moment.

“Mules” Breyden answered with a smile “Passages are too narrow and steep for horses, the mule will take us as up as Sky.

“And beyond that?” Antea wasn’t sure if she was just tired but she heard a bit of worry in the Imp’s voice.

“That path is too steem even for mules” Breyden said “So we’ll walk, but if you prefer, my lord of Lannister, I can make you go up with the chains used to draw supplies from Sky to the Eyrie” Antea let out a quite laugh at that, she was too tired to control it. Tyrion looked at her sharply before turning to Breyden “Yes, if I was a pumpkin” he said “But I’m not sure my father would like to hear it so if you ascend by foot, so will I. We Lannister do have a certain pride”

“Pride?” Antea looked to her mother when she heard her words “Arrogance, maybe. Arrogance, avarice and lust for power”

Antea rolled her eyes when the little man affirmed that every member of his family had one of those qualites, but he was innocent and very far from them, but in the girl’s eyes he really wasn’t. Arrogant fitted him perfectly.

When they finally enterted the Gates of the Moon, Antea couldn’t wait to lay down and sleep for few hours, but when lord Nestor arrived he told them that lady Lysa wanted to see her sister immediately. They were deep in the night, why wasn’t she sleeping like everyone else in Westeros? She could wait some more.

“What madness is that?” Breyden roared boldly “A night ascent, without the full moon? It is easy to fell down and Lysa knows that” at those words Antea’s tiredness faded away, her mother wouldn’t move if it was dangerous.

“The mules know the way, Ser Breyden” a tall girl made everyone’s attention diverted to her. She was around Theon’s age and she was wearing men’s cloths. Her hair were short and black and her eyes were blue. When Antea first looked at her she was sure Cassie was before her, but then she noticed that Cassie was leaner due to her trainings and her lips were fuller than the girl’s who was in front of her. But they really seemed similar. She walked closely to Catelyn and bowed with grace.

“I promise you my lady, no harm will come to you. If you grant me I would like to accompany you up. I’ve made the climb in the dark hundreds of times” she sounded very confident in herself, almost cocky. _Gods, is she Cassie’s sister?_ Antea thought keep looking at the girl.

Catelyn smiled “Do you have a name, child?”

“Mya Stone, if it please you, my lady” Stone. Stone was the name given to the bastards of the Vale. Antea’s eyes widened; her father and King Robert had spent their youth in the Eyrie, they were surely there nineteen years before. Could she really be a King’s bastard? Could she really be Cassie’s sister? The resemblance was undeniable.

Antea turned at her mother that for a moment looked the girl coldly clenching her fists, but after a moment she seemed calm again, but she didn’t answered back, not even a smile was shown.

“Mya is clever, my lady” Lord Nestor said “If she vows she can bring you safely to the lady, I believe her”

Catelyn looked the man before nodding “I put myself in your hands, Mya” the girl smiled proudly “Lord Nestor keep a close guard on my prisoner and my daughter”

“What? No” Antea argued walking closer to her mother “I won’t let you go alone”

“Antea, you need to rest” Catelyn said, but the girl shook her head.

“You need it too” she said “But you keep going. You are my mother and I made a promise to Robb and to Father. I wouldn’t have came all this way otherwise” she was tired, very tired, but it was her duty to stay close to her mother. Catelyn put a strand of Antea’s hair behind her ear.

“What about Shadow?” the direwolf stood up when she heard her name and looked directly at Antea. The girl smiled at her pup, understanding what she was telling her with her eyes.

“She can do it, as can I”


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi, again!**

**I’m working at speed light this period and I hope you are liking the story so far.**

**Please, let me know what you think of my story or the characters, it nice to recive reviews and they really help to make me work on this story.**

**I want to thank you like always for keep reading it, thank you so much!**

**I do not own anything but my OC’s, everythin else belongs to George R. R. Martin, that I love and respect so much, but who, I would like, would finish  Winds Of Winter soon.**

CASSANDRA

“Come on, Cassie wake up” Cassie let out a growl before hiding her head under the fur cover of her bed. She hadn’t slept much those days. After what had happened with Jon she suffered of lack of sleep. The memory of Aesteria had never once left her mind in all those years but she had been able to push it aside, to keep going otherwise she would have gone mad. But telling Jon had been exhausting for her nerves. Cassie didn’t like it, she didn’t like to talk about her one bit. It was a memory of hers, something she had to live with, no one else’s. Not that anyone had cared. No one cared.

“Cassie” Rose’s gentle voice reached throught the covers “We let you sleep, but we can’t be late. Not today” the princess groaned again.

That day would be endless. That day, lady Eloyse would announce officially the girls who had enough capacity to control their powers and for that they were ready to take off their gloves and become a Keeper of Light. It was all very poetic but what they were actually doing that day was totally different. To be a Keeper they didn’t need a ceremony, they were born like that; that day the girls were about to be marked to let all the world know what they really were.

After the Conquest, the Targaryens came to know about people like Cassie and decided to send them to the Wall and to mark them with a tattoo on the hand to make possible to everyone to distinguish keepers from people. At the very beginning the girls were marked not so long after their births, with centuries the order decided to make it like a rite of passage, an initiation to a new life; a life of control.

Cassie remembered when she got hers; she was so proud of herself. She felt like she had become an adult. When she had shawn it to her mother, she looked at it with a little smirk, but not a proud one, almost mocking and her words still echoed in Cassie’s mind “Now everyone can see what you are” at that moment Cassie didn’t understand but it didn’t took too long for her to notice how people on the road looked at her when they spotted her hand.

“You haven’t even eat” Rose reproved her while they were walking down the stairs of Castle Black that lead to the main field.

“I’m not hungry” Cassie answered passing an hand through her long black hair.

Rose gently stopped Cassie by her forearm “Are you still angry at Jon for what happened?” she asked carefully.

“I’ve never been angry at him for that” Cassie muttered “Or you” she had been cold with Rose, but not because she was angry. Cassie understood that Rose was the one who told Jon about Aesteria and she didn’t want to see the look of pity on her friend’s face, or Jon’s.

Rose’s lips curved in a small smile, a sympathy one. Cassie looked away and kept walking down.

The yard was crowded with people. The keepers were aligned by age and the novices were at the opposite side from them. Cassie looked at the girls who were about to get marked, they didn’t wear their black rags anymore, they had their own vest; Hidy was jumping in joy unable to stay still, Freema was beside her smiling shyly and Neho, a girl of sixteen who had subjugated a man of the Watch when she was ten, had finally menaged to control her powers.

All the girls stop chatting when the Matriarch, Vyva, Lylith and Freya made their entrance. Those were the oldest Keepers and they would have been the ones to mark the girls.

“This day is the most important day of all” Lady Eloyse began “Since this day forward, you’ll be able to let everyone know that you are in control, that they should not fear you because you are here to protect them, guard them and that you would never hurt them. Your life is for Westeros and from today you can rise and call yourself Keepers of Light” the three girls who had knealt as soon as the Matriarch entered, rose on their feet with proud smiles on their faces. When Lady Eloyse gave the order they approach one of the older women and set down before them.

The marking would have took long, the tattoo covered their right wrist in black lines interviewed with one another, it would rise on the back of their hand in what seemed like a flowered pattern and just under their nails around each finger there were other lines. All of them had the exact same mark and when the keepers reached their thirties they had to learn how to make it on skin for the girls who would join the order.

Cassie looked up and she saw some men of the Night’s Watch looking down at them from the castle. The lord commander wasn’t there, but Jon was. He and his friends were set on the stairs observing what was happening. She remembered the first time he and his brothers had seen her tattoo for the first time. They thought it was splendid, she had thanked them; they weren’t looking at her like she was dangerous or different, they never did. Not even Ned and Catelyn.

She then met Jon’s eyes; they hadn’t spoke much since that last time, but those days they set together sometimes whatching the snow falling on Castle Black and enjoying the silence. He wasn’t pushing her to talk and she was greatful for that. Jon smiled down at her and she returned the gesture before turning again to focus on the ceremony.

It took the keepers three hours to finish the tattoos and the three girls were exhausted, the marking wasn’t painless. Freema had cried and even Hidy, but as soon they had done the talkative girl run to Cassie to show her her hand. Cassie nodded almost unimpressed before Willyana walked closer.

“Congratulations, Hidy” she said.

“Thank you, Willyana” she exclaimed, her eyes red and puffy from the crying but her smile was wide on her face.

 _She is happy,_ Cassie thought looking at the girl.

“Come on, Cassie” Willy said linking her arm with hers “It’s lunch time”

The rest of the day had been the same as usual. They had eaten and Pyp had amused all the hall with his imitations; now almost everyone listened to him during meals, men and women. Cassie spotted even Derya enjoying his company and it was the first time in almost ten years that they set together when it didn’t involved being beyond the Wall, freezing in the snow. Cassie hadn’t spotted Samwell, Jon’s friend, but Rose had told her that the boy liked to be in the library on his free time. _At least Maester Aemon will have some kind of company,_ she thought keeping eating. Then she had to train in combat with the girls in a special training where a girl get attacked by three keepers. It could happen beyond the Wall. The wildlings that had her power were very ruthless, they had lost many companions under their touch. Then she had a couple of hours of sewing lesson, but even that didn’t managed to make peace in her mind. She needed time, like everytime she had thought about Aesteria.

In the evening she walked in the great hall and she saw Donar, the cook wave his hand at her, she nodded her head to greet him back, then she turned to look at the room. Pyp was on the table singing a song imitating Thorne’s voice, Grenn was laughing so hard that he had his head laying on the table as Rose had covered her lips with her hand. Willy’s face was red as she leaned her head on Todder’s shoulder. In all that mess she couldn’t spot Jon. It seemed like he wasn’t at dinner. But maybe he was in Ghost’s cell. The white direwolf wasn’t allowed to walk free around Castle Black, some people were scared of him. Cassie liked the creature and some days she went to him just to enjoy the silence and his fur. He was fluffy and he liked to be pat on the head, from her at least.

Cassie wasn’t hungry so she decided to head outside. It was becoming colder by the day and the snow covered the yard like a thin white cover. She put her forearms on the edge of the railing enjoying the little snowflakes melting on her face. Sometime she was glad that her powers made her resist the cold, the snow was truly beautiful. Well now at least, that they weren’t submerged by it. She wondered how winters were at the Wall, especially a winter as the one they were waiting, after a summer so long.

“Did it hurt?” at those words Cassie turned her head to see Samwell Tarly a few feet from her. His cape was around him thight to prevert the cold weather to hit his body and his cheeks and nose were slightly red for the cool wind. He was looking at her with a gentle gaze.

“What?” she asked probably sounding harsh but he just pointed his gloved finger to her hand.

“The tattoo” he said curiously “Did it hurt? It surely seems like it” a smile appeared on his face.

“It was not pleaseant, no” she answered looking back at the black lines on her hand.

“I’ve read somewhere that is like an initiation” Samwell told her “Like our vows are for us” she studied him trying to understand why he was there and what he wanted from her.

“It seems like it, but no” she said “It is far from it” seeing the curious look on his face she went on “People like to know what they should be scared of” Cassie saw him nodding his head like he understood what she was saying. Apparently he liked to read, probably he knew the story of her order even better than her.

“When did you get yours?” he asked without stop smiling.

“Seven” she answered with a frown. Why was he here? Did Jon talk him to go to her?

At her answer his eyes widened “You must had been very scared, I sure would have been” he said laughing nervously.

She studied him, his hands behind his back, swinging his weight back and forward on hif feet, looking at her with soft eyes and a gentle smile.

“What do you want?” she asked suddenly making Samwell blink his eyes in surprise, but then his expression softened in a shy one.

“I was going back to my cell and I saw you alone” he said “I just wanted to keep you company” he didn’t seem taken aback by her behavior, nor intimidated. It was curious, at the Wall people soft like him always stayed away from her, like she scared them off; sometimes she did it on purpose to not have company.

“Yes well..” Cassie said looking at the boy in front of her in the eyes “I’m fine on my own”

She listened him letting out a light laugh making her frown “No one is fine on his own” he said knowingly “It gives you peace when you want to stay away from something, but after sometime everything seems cold” Cassie looked at him, his eyes. Something in them make her mind wonder, there was saddnes, hidden but it was there, she could see it clearer than she liked to admit.

“Who?”

“What?” he muttered with a tense smile.

“Who you wanted to stay away from?” it was someone, not something. Something was easy to avoid, but a person wasn’t. Maybe was for that that he spent all his time in a dusty library, to hide from someone.

“My father” at that she turned fully towards him. His father… She studied hie eyes, they were like clouded now and they tried not to look at her directly. Like he wanted to reveal something of himself, or his story. Something buried in him that maybe he didn’t want to remember. Was he afraid of his father?

He caught her staring, but she didn’t stop too focused on understanding more about what troubled him.

“You know” he said walking towards her before stopping and looking at the snow falling from the dark sky “You had been the first girl I had talked to. When you came with the King to Hornhill” she frowned, she was awful at remember things. She held bits and pieces of that place. She almost didn’t remember even Samwell, even there he always disappeared somewhere.

“I’m sorry” she said knowing perfectly how she was “Other girls would surely be more pleaseant”

“Not at all” he smiled and he seemed honest about that “My father wanted for me to go training with the sword, but I didin’t want to” she tried to focus on what he was saying “He started to yell at me and I was about to cry when you arrived and told him “If you want to train so bad…””

“Why don’t you go by yourself” she said with a small smile remembering suddenly.

“I really wished Samwell could take me company today” he finished. She remembered, she was walking in the corridor of the castle when she had heard a man’s voice yelling, when she turned the corner she saw lord Randyll yelling at his son. She didn’t like what she saw, what she heard, so she came up with an excuse. When the man walked away she made sure Samwell was alright before going away, since the boy wanted to go to the library.

Samwell laughed at the memory “My father could not spoke against princess Cassandra Baratheon and he went away. I’ve never seen his face so red” Cassie laughed quietly understanding the feeling. Then she observed Samwell again. Lord Randyll yelled that he was a disappointment, unworthy of his name and title.

“Is it because of him that you came here?” she asked bluntly. His gaze fell away from her trying to hide something. Since he had arrived at the Wall she was wondering what could have brought him there and now she could understand.

“I volunteered” he muttered, but she knew best.

“I recognize a…” she esitated before keep going  “Man like Randyll Tarly when I see one. Even I know that you are not a warrior, but a smart young man. Eldest son of an important House. You are too kind to do something that could have lead you here and not skilled enough to be a volounteer and you are very aware of that” she had looked at him, he wasn’t improoving, he had just made friends. Friends who didn’t hurt him anymore but still…

She saw him taking a breath before start talking “The day of my name day, my fathter told me that I should leave to take the black. He didn’t want for me to be his heir, he prefers my little brother Dickon. I already knew that” on his face a there was a paintful expression, while he was talking “But he said that if I had refused he would have brought me to the woods and killed me, My choices were limited” she could feel anger built up in her hearing that story.

“You have a father who is not a father. It’s not on you ” Cassie almost growled, parents shouldn’t act like that, doing something so malicious.

“And what about you?” his sudden question made her eyes widen.

“Me?” she asked almost unsure.

He looked at her with sympathy, not pity. Like he understood whatever she was feeling. He was understanding what she was feeling, even though his situation was far worst from hers.

“My father..” she stopped to clear her voice unsure and when she looked at him she saw Samwell encouraging her to keep talking with his kind gaze. Cassie took a breath and closing her eyes she spoke again “My father is distant, just distant. Drown too much in his problems. My mother, however…” her mother was a different story “Since I was a baby, I can not remember a single moment of her being kind to me, hugging me or kiss me to sleep.. not even one. She didn’t smiled at me when I brought her flowers as a child. Or proud when my uncle told her the progress I was making at fighting” She took another breath “With Joffrey she had been totally different, of course” her mother had always looked Cassie like there was something wrong with her. Like she hated something of her. Cassie didn’t knew if her mother could ever hurt her, but surely her words were sharp enough.

Cassie shook her head composing herself again “Growing up I started not to care. She could like whoever she wants” her hands clanged in fists.

“I fear that that is impossible” she turned to Sam when he spoke “Even if they hurt us, they are our parents. We’ll never stop to care, or think about them or.. try to make them proud” he smiled at her. It was the first time, the first time in her life that she had found someone who understood that, who lived in the cold in their own house. She had never spoke about it with anyone, not even Jon. For how much he could had suffered for Catelyn, she wasn’t his mother. Ned on the other hand loved Jon not differently from his children. She could never talk about it with the Starks, they couldn’t understand.

“I just don’t know what I have done” Cassie muttered letting go her sadness for the first time.

Samwell nodded understanding “Probably just being you, but I think you should never be sorry for that”

“The same goes for you, Samwell” she said with a sad smile, but he shook his head.

“Sam” she nodded.

“Cassie”

“Cassie” he repeated happly.

They were there, talking about the Wall, when Cassie saw Jon walking down the stairs that lead to the lord commander’s chamber with a letter in his hands and with a broken expression on his face. Cassie and Sam looked at each other before running down the stairs to reach Jon in the yard.

He was pacing like he was crazy. His shoulder were tense, his fist was clenching the letter and on his face was painted an almost desperate expression.

“Jon” Cassie asked carefully, but he didn’t turn. She took a breath before walking closer to him and put an hand on his shoulder. He slowly raised his grey gaze to met her blue one.

“Jon, what happened?” what could have upset him so much?

“It’s.. It’s about Father, he got badly injured” a shiver ran down her spine, Ned was in King’s Landing. That place was so different from Winterfell; maybe someone had tried to rob him “He got attacked by the Kingslayer” Cassie’s hand fell from Jon’s shoulder before she took a step back.

“What?”               


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi everyone! I’m back! I’m sorry for being so late, but I hope you’ll like this new chapter.**

**I’m sorry for eventual grammatical or lexical errors.**

**I do not own anything but my OC’s, everything else belongs to George R. R. Martin.**

**Enjoy!**

CYEL

Cyel had woken up ealier than usual that morning. It was hunting day and Robb had asked her to go with them too. Cyel had always liked hawking with Antea and Sansa. Antea enjoyed riding more that anything else those morning, while Sansa had been great training her hawk. Cyel liked hawking so much because all of them spent mornings together, not devided by their daily schedules.

Cyel yawned while bying her long black hair into a braid. She was really tired, she staied up more then ususal to put Rickon to bed and with Shaggydog who kept howling it had been almost impossible. But the youngest Stark didn’t really know how to stay still. Robb was supposed to do that, but the Maester had something important to tell the young lord of Winterfell, so Robb had asked her to go to Rickon. She loved that little boy, but sometimes she wished he was just a little bit quiter.

Cyel then fixed her purple dress making sure everything was in place before taking the cape that the Starks had given to her as a present for her birthday in her hands. Her fingers lingered on the grey fur, loving the feeling. She smiled looking at it before exiting the room careful not to wake up her mother still fast asleep. She looked at Phelya for a moment before closing the door. Her mother was everyday better, just headaches sometimes, but luckily she wasn’t pale anyomore and she was stronger. She had even started to walk around the castle. Bran and Robb had been very sweet the first day she broke her fast with them again after so long; Robb had accompanied Phelya from her room to the main hall and Bran had passed her fish and waffle before taking some for himself. Cyel thanked the Seven everyday for being so fortunate to have the Starks in her life. Not everyone was so kind.

“Good morning, my lords” she said with a smile walking in the main hall, where Bran was already set down with the four guardsmen that would have accompanied them hunting that morning.

“Good morning lady Cyel” said Joseth, the new master of horse, said to her kindly still chewing his breakfast. She smiled at him bowing her head lightly before sitting greaciusly next to Bran.

“Hello, Cyel” he said finishing sipping his milk.

“Are you happy to go hunting?” she asked starting to break her fast.

“I’m happy I can ride outside the yard” he answered. Finally the saddle for Bran was ready and he rode around the yard everyday. His horse was very smart and beautiful, her name was Dancer and she was two years old. It had been beautiful seeing how Bran was able to ride again, it made him happy; it made him feel similar to his older brothers, who he always looked up to. She couldn’t believe she had to thank a Lannister for that. That man of Lannister had made Bran a gift after the Kingslayer had pushed him out of a window.

“Cyel, are you alright?” Bran’s voice made her turn seeing the little lord looking at her with his curious eyes.

“Yes” she said shooking her head “I’m just a bit sleepy, that’s all” suddenly something brushed at the side of her leg and when she looked down, the girl saw Summer putting his muzzle on her lap, studying her with his golden eyes.

 _What do you know?_ Sometimes Cyel really wished that direwolf could talk.

She shook her head once again petting his fur gently and with a smile she turned to Bran “They are sure growing up fast” all three direwolves were everyday stronger and bigger. Shaggydog was becoming the biggest among them and even the scariest. He growled at everyone that wasn’t Rickon and his deep green eyes starteled her sometimes. Grey Wind was becoming faster by the days and Summer even though was the leaner of his brothers seemed to be very smart.

“He is smart” Bran said proudly making his direwolf look at him fondly “Sometimes I feel like he understands me. Like he knows things” then Bran looked at her with a light blush, before turning shooking his shoulders “I think he is the smartest” Cyel smiled at him being so proud.

“He howled last night” Bran said thoughtfully “He seemed really sad”

“Summer too?” she asked, Bran nodded with a small frown “Shaggydog seemed more agitated than usual”

“Him too..” Bran muttered with a pencive expression. Cyel found herself doing the same, everythime those direwolves howled and sang all together something had happened. She looked down to Summer who was resting his muzzle on Bran’s lap.

_What do you know?_

The snow was starting to fall more frequently with the days passing by, it was juat a faint of white, but it started to cover the fields all around them. Small snowflakes were melting against them, they weren’t many, but as ususal the snow marveled Cyel. She looked at her hawk resting on her extended arm. She had decided to call him Sun due his almost golden plumage. He was there erect looking around almost marveled.

“Are we ready?” Robb asked ahead of the party, next to Bran.

“Aye, my lord” the men said enthusiastically. Cyel looked at them, before fixing her gaze to the young lord speaking to Bran that nodded his head. Robb looked at him proudly before kicking his horse to walk. Cyel heard Bran giving the order to Dancer that started to walk immediately. The girl smiled before looking at Sun, moving her arm to make him fly. She watched the hawk fly high, before making move her horse.

It was a bit of a long way to the Wolf’s Wood; they had to walk through the village, passing the market square always full of people. When the villagers spotted the two Stark boys they bowed their heads, suddenly one of them dropped a piece of wood they had in their hands in the moment they spotted Grey Wind and Summer with them. Robb was greeting each of them while Bran was smiling at them. Cyel looked at them proudly, wishing that lady Catelyn could be there to look at her sons. They have grown up so fast, Cyel wondered if the same was happening to her.

Suddenly Theon Greyjoy called two names, making Cyel turn her head. She saw two girls smiling bowing their heads, but one of them, the youngest, turned blushed and covered her face.

“Sweet Kyra” Theon said to Robb with his usual laugh “She squirms like a weasel in bed, but with just a word in the street she blushes pink as a maid” Cyel wasn’t far from them so she had hear Theon’s words and she couldn’t help but blush and turn her head.

“Did I ever tell you about the night that she and Bessa-” but Robb stopped Theon.

“Not where  my brother can hear, Theon” Theon smiled looking at Bran that looked ahead of him for all the way. He probably had heard, he was close to them too, but he ignored Theon’s comments and Cyel was impressed.

Robb moved coser to his younger brother, while Theon got closer to Cyel with his usual cocky smile.

“What’s the matter, little one?” Theon asked making the girl roll her eyes “You’re suddenly flushed”

“Now I understand why many people say it’s just a joke for you” she answered looking at the older boy seriously. Theon blinked his eyes in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Antea” Cyel had always believed that Theon had true feelings for her friend; of course she knew he enjoyed women company, but hearing his comment it was like every girl was the same in his eyes. She didn’t like that; if he was so fond of Antea then he should have eyes just for her, Sansa would have said that and Cyel agreed.

“That’s none of your business, Cyel” he answered bitterly.

Cyel scrolled her shoulders before making move her horse faster following Bran and Robb who had quickened their pace.

Their horses galloped away from the winter town, the two direwolves were close behind the Stark brothers that not long after had put a good distance from them. Cyel could see Robb talking to Bran, but something was different from before; they weren’t smiling, they were talking seriously like two men. They were so joyful that day. She hoped everything was fine.

“Theon” she said reining in beside the older boy, who looked ahead of him.

“What is it?” he asked almost annoyed.

Cyel ignored him and kept talking “Has something happened?” she asked looking the two Starks leading the party “Robb looks so serious”

Theon turned his head to look at her showing his cocky smirk “It’s nothing that a little girl should think about, those are men’s talk”

Cyel bit her lip “A lady can still give advises” she insisted but Theon laughed.

“We are not obliged to listen to them, so why ask them?” he eyed her with a strange look before making his horse move faster to go next to Robb.

Cyel wondered if there was truth in his words. Lord Stark had always involved lady Catelyn and he listened to her words, and at Dorne everyone thought of women as they did for men. Was really that the life of a lady? Shutting her mouth and listen to what men wanted? Was it possible that they thought so little of them? Her mother had never been married and Cyel didn’t spend all her day with lady Catelyn, how could she know how a wife was treated by her husband?

“Are you alright, Cyel?” asked Maester Luwin riding on his donkey.

Cyel smiled sadly “They don’t want me with them” she said blushing feeling stupid for saying that out loud.

“Theon said that?” the old man asked kindly, but a frown was visible on his forehead. Cyel looked down.

The Maester took a breath “Theon Greyjoy is one of a kind” he said looking ahead of him “He’s never been good at handle his anger… or his every feelings for the metter” the man turned to her with a smile “It shouldn’t affect you that much” Theon was probably angry for what she had said before about Antea… but did he really just said those words just to hurt her?

“What a nice necklace” the Maester said pointing at the pendant that Bran had given to her “I’ve noticed you wear it very often” _almost always actually,_ Cyel never get separed from it. She really loved that necklace.

“I’m sure Bran would mind your absence” he said after a moment with a serious expression. Cyel looked ahead to the Stark boys and Theon and with a nod to Maester Luwin she made move her horse faster.  

“I wish Mother was back” Cyel heard Bran saying when she got closer, he seemed really pensive “Does Maester Luwin say to call the banners too?”

 _Banners?_  Calling the banners meant to go to war. What was happening?

“The master is timid as an old woman?” said Theon making Cyel frown.

“Father always listened to his counsel” Bran said directly to his brother “Mother too”

“I listen to him” Robb insisted “I listen to everyone” Bran looked down, his eyes were sad and a strange feeling grew in Cyel’s chest. He was so happy before, now they were talking about war… something very bad must have happened.

“The wind is raising” Cyel said reining closer to Bran who turned to her “It’s becoming a bit cold” she saw gratitude in Bran’s eyes then he turned to Robb.

“Cyel’s right, can we go back?” he asked.

Robb glanced around “We need to find the wolves. Can you stand to go a bit longer?”

“I can go as long as you can” Bran said without hesitation before turning to Cyel “Cyel is it alright for you?”

“If you’re cold I’ll send you back with someone” Robb said kindly to her, but Cyel shook her head gracefully.

“It’s alright” she said “I can stand a bit of cold” Robb nodded before moving his horse to walk faster. Cyel turned to Bran, a glimps of sadness was still in his eyes.

“Are you alright, Bran?” she asked carefully. He nodded his head lightly, but she know it was not true.

They galloped in silence and she really didn’t want to push him to talk. Robb fastened his pace and Bran followed him quickly. Cyel looked at him riding ahead. What made him so sad?

“Can I ask you what happened, or am I too little to know why you were talking about banners?” Cyel asked Theon when he got closer.

“I told you, that’s not what a short lady need to worry about” Theon said with a smirk.

Cyel ignored his comment about her stature before speaking again “I’m young, but I’m not foolish” she said “I know what calling the bannermen means. If the North is going to war it’s because something had happened to lord Stark” she was extreamly serious right now “He is my lord and Brandon’s father, I want to know what happened”

“You’re so annoying”  then Theon took a breath “Lord Eddard has been attacked in King’s Landing and I think we should go to war” Cyel gasped. Someone had hurt lord Stark… why? Who had attacked him? The situation was serious, if Robb wanted to call the bannermen that meant that the attacker was someone important, someone from an important family. _Lannisters._

She felt angry again, they were hurting the Starks more and more. But was it wise to declare war to the Capital? The Lannisters were the richest family in Westeros and one of them was even married to the King. Moreover attacking when lord Stark and his daughters were still in King’s Landing would put them in danger. She understood why the Stark brothers were so tense before.

“Do you see lord Stark?” Cyel looked up when one of the guardsmen spoke.

“Bran’s not here too” she said glancing around, worry filled her “We should go and look for them”

“Don’t worry” Theon said carefully taking and arrow from his quiver eyeing something in the woods “Robb knows these woods, and those wolves are with them” he shoot his arrow and after a moment Cyel heard something fall. Theon was a great archer, one of the best, there was no time he didn’t hit what he was shooting at.

Sun had came back with an hare in his clows. He leave it to Cyel and he flew away again, but when Sun come back again and Bran and Robb weren’t there still made Cyel worried even more.

“They had been out there for too long” she said looking in the woods, it was even becoming colder “Theon, please let’s look for them” Theon was glancing around too, before turning to the girl.

“Don’t be so worried, it’s alright” he said less cocky then usual.

“You are worried too” she said making him took a breath.

“Aye” he said before turning to the men “Let’s split up, but Terreth took Cyel back” 

Cyel’s eyes widened “What? Why?”

Theon took a breath “I can’t look for them and think about you. Robb and Bran would never leave me alone if you’d get hurt. Go” Cyel bit her lips, even Theon thought that something was wrong and that made her even more worried, she wanted to look for them, to find Bran and Robb but if someone else was there she didn’t know how she could have helped Theon and the guardsmen.

“Alright, but be careful” she said “And please, Theon bring them back”

“Don’t worry” he said before kicking his horse to start a quick pace. Even Maester Luwin had gone and that made her worried. What if they’ve go injured.

Cyel waited in Winterfel great hall, pacing all the perimeter of the room torturing her hands. She couldn’t stay still, she hated that feeling of worry, the feeling of not knowing. But Bran and Robb had their wolves, those creature could never let anything bad happen to the Stark boys. She had saw what had happened to the last one that tried to hurt Bran.

Suddenly loud steps echoed in the corridors. When she ran out the hall, she saw Robb and Theon walk towards her, behind them the guardsmen were fallowing and with them there was a very tall person, with an hostile face. The person was covered in ragged clothes and fur… a wildling. Only when they got closer Cyel realized that the wildling was a woman. What was she doing there?

“Robb” she exclaimed relieved running to the young lord, who smiled tiredly to her “I was so worried! What happened?” Cyel asked looking at the wildling woman.

“We got attacked” he said, nodding to his guardsman to take away the woman.

“Attacked?” she repeated glancing around worried.

“A group of wildligns attacked Bran” at Robb’s words Cyel’s breath stopped.

 “Where is he? Is he alright?” the girl asked urgently.

“He is fine” Robb said side eyeing Theon with a reproachful look. The older boy just looked away in silence, while Cyel was still torturing her hands in worry.

“Weren’t you with him?” she asked.

Robb looked at her for a moment before answering “No” Cyel frowned in confusion “I’ve found him almost immediately”

“But we saved the both of them at the end” Theon said earning an annoyed look from Robb.   

“Where is he?” she asked again making Robb turn to her.

“He is in his room” he said “Maester Luwin is taking care of him” than something did happened. She excused herself from Robb and she walked fast towards Bran’s room. She had had a strange feeling since she had seen him ride away. She thought that with Robb he would have been safe, why did they got separed? What if something worst had happened?

The girl ran up the stairs that lead to Bran’s chamber as fast as she could and when she arrived before the door master Luwin was walking out of the room with Hodor behind him.

“Maester” she called walking closer to the man “Robb told me Bran got attacked. Is everything alright?” she had talked so fastly she wasn’t even sure that the Maester had understood her. But he smiled nodding his head.

“Yes, Cyel. I’ve just cleaned his wound” Cyel bit her lip.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Bran got attacked by a group of wildlings coming form north, but luckly nothing serious happened” he said “Bran just got scratched on his leg, but the cut is not deep”

 _Thank the Gods,_ she thought starting to breath normally again.

“You can go and visit him if you want” the maester said kindly.

“If I may” at her answer, Luwin step aside making room for her to enter the room. Cyel knocked on the wood of the door to announce her presence, she opened the door and entered in the room. Bran was sitting on his bed, his back was lying against the wooden headbord and Summer had his muzzle on Bran’s lap. The boy looked up when she entered and he smiled at her.

“Hi, Cyel” he said.

Cyel walked closer to the bed and she set on the chair next to it “I’ve heard what happened. Are you alright?”

Bran nodded looking at his leg “I’m fine, I think. It really doesn’t hurt” Cyel nodded her head. She was glad that nothing worst had happened to him.

“They came from beyond the Wall. They wanted to go South” Bran said after a moment of silence. It was strange, there were some wildlings in the North, but those beyond the Wall were another kind, more ruthless more dangerous, but they never got close to Winterfell. Why did they want to go South?

“But I really don’t know if the South is a safe place” Cyel looked closer to him but she let him speak “A raven came from King’s Landing last night, Robb told me this morning” He looked up to her seriously and worried

“Father got seriously injuried on a leg and apparently an horse fell on him” Cyel’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oh Gods, how that happened?” she asked.

“According to Alyn, the Kingslayer attacked Father and his men” Bran said sadly “Wyl, Heward and Jory had been killed” A gasp left the girl’s lips. All those men, she knew all of the since she had arrived in Winterfell and Jory… Jory Cassel was one of the men that lord Stark trusted the most and he was so kind with them children; he had frequently brought the boys to fish in the lake in the Wolf’s Wood, and he brought all of them on field trips when they all started to learn how to ride. He was a loyal and brave man and the Kingslayer had killed him, and he attempt to kill lord Stark. She understood now why Theon wanted for Robb to call their bannermen. But declaring war to the Lannister with lord Stark, Sansa and Arya in the South wasn’t wise.

Suddenly she heard Bran gasp and when she turned she saw him clanging his chest with his hand.

“Bran?” she said “Bran what is it?” he seemed to have trouble breathing

“I…I don’t know” he breathed “I just… I need some air” Cyel quicly got up to the window, while Summer looked Bran worried too. When Cyel got back to the bed, she saw Bran that was still finding difficulties to breath, so she took his hand.

“Bran, look at me” she said calmly trying not to agitate him even more “Hey it’s alright” she said forcing a little smile “Count with me” Bran nodded his head, clanging on Cyel hand and he started to count with Cyel; after a moment his breathing had gone back to normal and he took a long breath in confusion.

“Thank you” he said turning to Cyel with confusion still in his eyes, while Summer start licking his hand “How did you know how to do it?” Bran asked.

Cyel smiled putting a strand of hair behind her ear “My little sister Dorea suffers of night terrors and Tyene calms her down like that” Bran nodded his head again before relizing they were still holding hands, so he pulled away with a little smile.

“Do you want me to call for maester Luwin?” she asked. It was really strange what had happened; Bran had never suffered of those kind of attacks, his healt was perfect. She wondered what had happened.

“No, I’m fine” he said “I’m sorry if I made you worried, maybe it was just bad thoughts” he wanted to reassured her but he wasn’t sure himself. Cyel could understand how worried he could feel for his father, she knew what it felt to be afaid of loosing a parent.

“Do you think Father is going to be fine, Cyel?” Bran asked suddenly “Robb said that the maester was taking care of him, but…” he took a breath “I just hope he is going to be fine. And the girls too”

She wanted to tell him he was right, but she knew he didn’t want for her to lie to him.

“I hope so, Bran” she said taking a breath.

“Theon wants for Robb to call the bannermen” Bran said “If Robb agrees it’ll mean war”

Cyel closed her eyes in sadness “Sometimes I wish we were older” she admitted  “Maybe we would understand better”

“I’m already eight and you’re twelve” Bran said “It’s not so different from fifhteen and I’m the heir to Winterfell after Robb. We understand” he assured and she was surprised by his seriousness and maturity “It’s just a difficult choice to make, but I feel that everything is going to change either way”   

She couldn’t bare the thought of what was happening. Why the Lannisters were doing all of this so suddenly? The Kingslayer had tried to kill Bran and now he tried to kill lord Stark. What was happening? Robb was over the edge, very confused of what was right to do.

 _We are just children_ , Cyel thought sadly.     


End file.
